NYMPHIACE^E. IV. NYMPH*A. 



125 



ence to the habitation of the plants). Neck. elem. no. 1 828. 

 Tourn. Lin. & Juss. D. C. syst. 2. p. 49. prod. 1. p. 114. 



LIN. SYST. Polydndria, Polygynla. Calyx of 4 sepals, 

 girding the base of the torus. Petals 16-28, adnate to the 

 torus, elevated about the ovary and covering the same, and 

 therefore at first sight appearing inserted in it. Stamens nu- 

 merous, disposed in many series, inserted in a similar way above 

 the petals. Shewy aquatic herbs. Trunk of root fleshy, hori- 

 zontal, emitting fibres below. Leaves large, cordate or peltate, 

 floating. Flowers large, white, rose-red, and blue, never yellow. 

 The genus is called water-lily in English, from the plants grow- 

 ing in water, and the flowers having the appearance of a lily. 



SECT. I. CYA'N^EA (from KVO.VOS, kyanos, blue ; because the 

 flowers are blue or blueish). D. C. syst. 2. p. 49. prod. 1. 

 p. 114. Anthers drawn out at top. Flowers blue or blueish. 

 Leaves peltate, entire or bluntly sinuated. 



1 N. SCUTIFO'LIA (D. C. syst. 2. p. 50.) leaves peltate, bluntly 

 and sinuately toothed, not dotted, smooth on both surfaces, 2- 

 lobed at the base ; lobes incumbent ; anthers appendiculated at 

 the top ; stigmas 20-rayed. I/ . S. W. Native of Cape of Good 

 Hope in rivers. N. cseriilea, Andr. bot. rep. t. 197. Sims, 

 bot. mag. t. 552. Castalia scutifolia, Sal. ann. bot. 2. p. 72. 

 This plant differs from the following in the flowers being of a 

 more intense blue, as well as in the sepals and petals being 

 blunter. Leaves constantly sinuated. 



Saucer-leaved Water Lily. Fl. June, Sept. Clt. 1792. 

 PI. fit. 



2 N. CJSRU'LEA (Savig. decad. aegypt. 3. p. 74.) leaves peltate, 

 nearly entire, without dots, glabrous on both surfaces, 2-lobed 

 at the base ; lobes free ; anther appendiculated at the apex ; 

 stigmas 16-rayed. If.. S. W. Native of Lower Egypt in rice 

 grounds and canals about Rosetta, Damietta, Kahira, &c. Savig. 

 ann. mus. paris 1 . p. 366. t. 25. Vent. malm. t. 6. Herb amat. 

 t. 338. N. stellata, var. Sims, bot. mag. 2058. Flowers very 

 fragrant. Root pear-shaped, blackish. That this species was 

 sacred amongst the ancient Egyptians is obvious from the re- 

 presentations of it on their old monuments and in hieroglyphics. 



Blue Water Lily. Fl. June, Sept. Clt. 1812. PI. fit. 



3 N. MADAGASCAKIE'NSIS (D. C. syst. 2. p. 50. prod. 1. p. 

 114.) leaves peltate, bluntly-sinuated, not dotted, glabrous on 

 both surfaces, 2-lobed at base ; lobes divaricate ; anthers appendi- 

 culate at the apex; stigmas 8-10-rayed. !{.. S. W. Native of 

 the island of Madagascar. Perhaps this is a variety of N. stel- 

 lata. Flowers blue. 



Madagascar Water Lily. PI. fit. 



4 N. STELLA'TA (Willd. spec. 2. p. 1153.) leaves peltate, 

 entire, not dotted, glabrous on both surfaces, 2-lobed at the base ; 

 lobes divaricate ; anthers appendiculate at the apex ; stigmas 

 8-12-rayed. "%.. S. W. Native of Malabar in tranquil rivulets 

 and lakes, also in Coromandel, Tranquebar, and Java. Andr. 

 bot. rep. t. 330. Citambel, Rheed. mal. 11. p. 53. t. 27. Cas- 

 t&lia stellata, Blum, bijdr. fl. ned. ind. ex Schlecht. Linnsea 1 . 

 p. 643. Castalia stellaris, Sal. ann. bot. 2. p. 72. N. Malaba- 

 rica var. caerulea, Lam. diet. 2. p. 457. Flowers blue or blueish. 



Starry Water Lily. Fl. June, Sept. Clt. 1803. PI. fit. 



5 N. PULCHE'LLA (D. C. syst. 2. p. 51.) leaves peltate, nearly 

 entire, not dotted, glabrous on both surfaces, 2-lobed at the base ; 

 lobes blunt, somewhat diverging ; anthers appendiculated at the 

 apex; stigmas 12-rayed. If;. S. W. Native of Guayaquil. 

 Flowers white, one half smaller than those of N. alba. Petals 

 8, oblong, acuminated, shorter than the calyx. 



Neat Water Lily. Fl. June, Sept. PI. fit. 



6 N. CYA NEA (Roxb. hort. beng. p. 41.) %. S. W. Native 

 of the East Indies. N. Cahlara, Donn, cant. ed. 7- Leaves 

 peltate. Flowers blue. A species scarcely known. 



Blue Indian Water Lily. Fl. June, Sept. Clt. 1809. PL flt. 



SECT. II. LOTOS (the name Lotos is applied to this section 

 because the plants it contains agree in character with the Egyp- 

 tian Lotos. N. Lotus.) D. C. syst. 2. p. 52. prod. 1. p. 115. 

 Anthers not drawn out at the top into an appendage. Flowers 

 white, rose-coloured, or red. Leaves peltate, rarely entire, 

 usually deeply toothed, and usually pubescent on the under sur- 

 face, not glabrous as the last section. 



7 N. EDU'LIS (D. C. syst. 2. p. 52.) leaves peltate, broad- 

 oval, quite entire, under surface pubescent. I/ . S. W. Native 

 of the East Indies in fens. Castklia edulis, Sal. ann. bot. 2. 

 p. 73. N. Coteka, Roxb. mss. with a figure in Banks' Libr. 

 N. esculenta, Roxb. hort. beng. p. 41. Roots esculent. Flowers 

 small, white, or red ? 



Eatable-rooted Water Lily. Fl. in Botanic Garden Calcutta 

 throughout the year, in England from June to Sept. Clt. ? 

 PL flt. 



8 N. RU'BRA (Roxb. ined. Sims bot. mag. t. 1280.) leaves 

 peltate, sharply toothed, under surface pubescent, and not spot- 

 ted. 1{., S. W. Native of the East Indies. Andr. bot. rep. 

 503. Cast&lia magnifica, Sal. parad. t. 14. Flowers deep red. 

 Petiole inserted very near the margin of the leaf. The seeds 

 and roots are said to be eatable, and the flowers are said to be 

 held in superstitious veneration in Hindostan, which may arise 

 from its affinity with the Nelumbo, or sacred bean. 



^erf-flowered Water Lily. Fl. Ju. Aug. Clt. 1803. PL flt. 



9 N. ROSEA (Sweet, hort. brit. p. 15.) leaves peltate, sharply 

 toothed, under surface pubescent, upper surface dark-green. 

 If. . S. W. Native of the East Indies. N. rubra var. (3, rosea, 

 Sims, bot. mag. t. 1364. D. C. syst. 2. p. 52. prod. 1. p. 115. 

 Flowers rose-coloured, not deep-red, as in the preceding species. 

 Petiole inserted very near the margin of the leaf. 



.Ktwe-coloured-flowered Water Lily. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1803. 

 PI. flt. 



10 N. PUBE'SCENS (Willd. spec. 2. p. 1154.) leaves peltate, 

 sharply toothed, orbicularly-reniform, under surface velvety- 

 pubescent and spotted ; lobes roundish. If. . S. W. Native of 

 the East Indies, Malabar, Moluccas, Tranquebar, Ceylon, Java, 

 and about Bombay, and also on the western coast of Africa 

 at Waree and Acra, &c. in tranquil water. N. Lotus, 

 Burm. ined. Beauv. fl. d'ow. et de ben. 2. p. 50. t. 88. Jones 

 asiat. reser. 3. p. 285. Cast&lia s&cra, Sal. parad. no. 14. Cas- 

 t&lia pubescens, Blum, bijdr. fl. ned. ind. ex Schlecht. Linnsea. 1 . 

 p. 643. This plant is called the Lotos throughout India, and is 

 one of the sacred plants of the Hindus. Flowers white ; petals 

 rather unequal, expanded throughout the day and closing at 

 night, breathing a vinous pungent odour. 



Pubescent-leaved Water Lily. Fl. in its native country in the 

 dry season ; in England from June to Sep. Clt. J803. PL flt. 



UN. LOTUS (Lin. spec. 729. exclusive of the synonyms of 

 Browne and Sloane,) leaves peltate, sharply Serrated, under sur- 

 face pilose at the nerves, and pubescent between them. 1{ . S. W. 

 Native of Egypt, in slow running streams, especially in the Nile 

 near Rosetta and Damietta, and in rice fields during the time 

 they are under water, &c. Del. fl. aegyp. descr. p. 159. t. 60. 

 f. 1. Hill. veg. syst. 16. p. 39. t. 39. Castalia mystica, 

 Sal. ann. bot. 2. p. 73. Root tuberous, eatable. Flowers 

 large, white ; sepals red at the margins. This is the Lotos, 

 which was celebrated by the ancient Egyptians, sacred to 

 Isis, and was sometimes engraven on their very ancient 

 coins. This is not to be confounded with the Lotos of the 

 Lotophagi, which is Zizyphus Lotus (see Desf. in mem. acad. 

 par. 1788. p. 443.) nor with the Lotos of Homer and Dioscori- 

 dis, which is evidently a species of Lotus or Tri/blium, nor with 

 the Lotos of Hippocrates, which is Celtis australis, nor with the 

 Italian Lotos, which is Diospyrus Lotus. The seeds dried and 

 ground were made into a kind of bread by the ancient Egyptians, 



