124 



NYMPHIACE^E. I. NELCMBIUM. II. EURYALE. III. BARCLAYA. IV. NYMPH^A. 



China are literally covered with the plant, and exhibit a very 

 shewy appearance when it is in flower, and the flowess are no less 

 fragrant than handsome. It is the Pythagorean bean of the 

 ancients, and has been regarded from the most remote periods as 

 an emblem of fertility. Perhaps many species are confused under 

 N. speciosum. 



Shewy Nelumbium or Pythagorean Bean. Fl. in the summer. 

 Clt. 1787. PI. fit. 



2 N. CA'SPICUM (Fisch. in litt. D. C. 1. c.) corolla polypeta- 

 lous ; anthers drawn out beyond the cells into a club-shaped 

 appendage ; inner petals blunt, scarcely smaller than the outer 

 ones. I/ . S. W. Native at the mouth of the river Volga near 

 Astracan at that part of the river called Tschulpan, growing 

 among reeds, Nymphseas and Trapas. This plant hardly differs 

 from the preceding, unless that the petals are all obtuse, with 

 the inner scarcely smaller than the outer ones. 



Caspian Nelumbium. Fl. summer. Clt. 1817. PI. fit. 



3 N. LU TEUM (Willd. spec. 2. p. 1259.) corolla polypetalous ; 

 anthers drawn out beyond the cells into a linear appendage. 

 I/ . F. W. Native of North America in lakes and ponds in 

 Virginia, Carolina, Florida andLouisiana, also near Philadelphia in 

 the ditches and ponds of Brobston's meadows. Turp. ann. mus. 

 7. p. 210. t. II. f. 27. Nymphae'a nelumbo ft, Lin. spec. 730. 

 Cyamus flavicomus, Sal. ann. bot. 2. p. 75. Cyamus luteus, 

 Nutt. gen. amer. 2. p. 25. Swert. floril. 2. t. 22. f. 4. Very 

 like N. speciosum in habit as well as character, but the flowers 

 are smaller. Flowers yellow, resembling a double tulip. The 

 seeds are very agreeable to eat, and eagerly sought after by 

 children and Indians. By the latter it is supposed they were 

 introduced to those ponds near Philadelphia, as there is no other 

 instance known of their being found so far north. Walter men- 

 tions his Nelumbo to have white flowers, but this variety has not 

 been seen by any other person. 



Yellow Nelumbium. Fl. July. Clt. 1810. PI. fit. 



t Species not sufficiently known. 



4 N. CODOPHY'LLUM (Raf. fl. lud. p. 22. no. 64.) leaves to- 

 mentose underneath. I/ . F. W. Native of lakes in Louisiana. 

 Napoleone, Rob. trav. louis. 1. p. 355. 2. p. 322. and 441. ex 

 Rafinisque. Flowers yellow, larger than those of N. luteum. 

 Petals numerous, unequal. Seeds eatable. Leaves 2 feet in 

 diameter, campanulate, entire, but look as if they were fringed 

 on the margins. Scapes scabrous with acute tubercles. 



Bell-leaved Nelumbium. PI. fit. 



5 N. PENTAPE'TALEM (Willd. spec. 2. p. 1259.) flowers pen- 

 tapetalous. If. . F. W. Native of North and South Carolina. 

 Cyamus pentapetalus, Pursh. fl. amer. sept. 2. p. 398. Nym- 

 phs' a pentapetala, Walt. fl. carol. 155. Flowers large, white. 

 Mr. Pursh saw a specimen of this doubtful plant in the posses- 

 sion of a gentleman in Carolina, which ascertains its existence, 

 but he unfortunately took no notes at the time, being in expect- 

 ation of seeing the living plant. 



Five-pelalled Nelumbium. PI. fit. 



6 N. JAMAICE'NSE (B.C. syst. 2. p. 47.) If.. S. W. Native 

 of Jamaica in ponds. Nymphaea with orbieular, rayed leaves, 

 and obversely conical fruit, and large imbedded seeds. P. 

 Browne, jam. 343. no. 2. N. speciosum y, Willd. spec. 2. p. 

 1259. Nymphse'a Nelumbo, Lunan. hort. jam. 2. p. 272. 

 Flowers rose-coloured. 



Jamaica Nelumbium. Fl. ? Clt. 1823. PI. fit. 



Cult. The species of this beautiful aquatic genus should be 

 grown in cisterns, tubs, or large pots in a rich loamy soil ; they 

 require a strong heat to flower in perfection. The cistern, pot, 

 or tub should be kept full of water all the time the plants are 

 growing, but may be allowed to get dry when the flowering 

 season is over. The plants may be increased by dividing the 



roots, but are obtained more readily from seeds, which vegetate 

 freely (Swt. cult.). None of the species have flowered in this 

 country except the N. speciosum ; they all require to be kept 

 in a very warm situation in a stove. 



Tribe II. 



NYMPHAEA. (D. C. syst. 2. p. 48. D. C. prod. p. 114.) 

 Carpels numerous, many-seeded, inclosed within the enlarged 

 torus (f. 36. c.). Stigmas radiated on the top of the berry-formed 

 fruit (f. 36. d.). Seeds arillate, fixed to the sides of the carpels. 

 Albumen mealy. 



II. EURY'ALE (Euryale, one of the Gorgons, alluding to 

 the thorny menacing habit of the plant). Sal. ann. bot. 2. p. 73. 

 D. C. syst. 2. p. 48. prod. 1. p. 114. 



LIN. SYST. Polyundria, Polygynia. Calyx of 4 sepals, in- 

 serted in the torus and adhering to it. Petals 16-28, in 4-7 

 series. Stamens numerous. Carpels 16-20. Fruit appearing 

 half inferior from the sepals petals and stamens adhering half 

 way up. An elegant aquatic, covered all over with prickles. 

 Leaves peltate, large, orbicular. Flowers blueish-purple or 

 violet, not so large as those of the commoner species of Nym- 

 pht&a. 



1 E. FE'ROX (Sal. ann. bot. 2. p. 73.) !f..S. W. Native 

 of the East Indies in the lakes called Gumtoe and Gogra ; 

 also in China in the province of Kianang and Nipaul. An- 

 neslea spinosa, Andr. bot. rep. t. 618. Petioles and calyxes 

 hispid, with stiff prickles. Leaves large, scutate, about a foot 

 in diameter. Carpels the size of a pea, inclosed within the torus. 

 Trunk of root esculent. 



Fierce Euryale. Fl. Sept. Clt. 1809. PI. fit. 



Cult. This singular aquatic plant requires to be always kept 

 in water in a hot-bed or stove ; it will seed freely if some pollen 

 be shaken on the stigmas when it is in bloom, which is the only 

 method of increasing it. 



III. BARCLA'YA (in honour of Robert Barclay, F.L. S. 

 of Bury Hill, Surrey, eminently distinguished for his love of 

 plants, and who has introduced numerous new plants to England, 

 more particularly from Mexico and the Mauritius). Wall, in 

 Linn, trans, vol. 15. p. 442. 1. 18. 



LIN. SYST. Polydndria, Polygynia. Calyx of 5 distinct 

 sepals inserted beneath the ovary. Receptacle widened into a 

 globose ovary at the base, tubular and corollaceous at the apex, 

 with the throat 8-1 0-lobed ; lobes unequal, conniverit, disposed 

 in 2-3 series. Stamens numerous, nodding, fixed to the inside 

 of the tube of the torus, and inclosed within the same ; superior 

 ones sterile and branched. Anthers naked. Styles numerous 

 radiating and inserted in the bottom of the tube, connate at the 

 base. Berry fleshy, globose, many-celled, many-seeded, sur- 

 rounded at the base by the permanent calyx and crowned by the 

 permanent corolla. Seeds globose, beset with fleshy bristles, 

 albuminose, inverted. A floating aquatic with appearance of 

 Potamogeton. Leaves thin, elongated, oblong, rather narrowest 

 at the base, rather cordately-hastate and a little peltate at the 

 base, feather-nerved, shining, rusty beneath and tomentose. 

 Scape 1 -flowered, about equal in length to the slender petioles. 

 Flowers erect, smooth, of a greenish-colour, scentless. This 

 genus differs from Euryale in the calyx being absolutely hy- 

 pogynous. 



1 B. LONGIFOLIA (Wall. 1. c.) 1 . W. S. Native of the 

 East Indies in Pegu near Rangoon in stagnant water. 



Long-leaved Barclaya. Fl. Aug. PI. floating. 



Cult. For the cultivation see Euryale. 



IV. NYMPH^E'A 



, nymphe, a water nymph, in refer- 



