ORDER MONOGYNIA. . 163 



Tcaluptra^ a covering, and morpTie^ form). ^ The cup is capable 

 of containing a gill or more of water, with which liquid it 

 is usually filled. "The scape grows to the hight of one or two 

 feet, bearing a single, large, purple flower. This plant is found 

 in swamps \ its common name. Side-saddle flower, is given in 

 reference to the form of its leaf ; it is sometimes called Adam's 

 cup. No foreign plant, as an object of curiosity, can exceed 

 this na4;ive of our own swamps ; it is well worth the trouble of 

 cultivation by those who are fond of collecting rare plants.^ A 

 natural order, Sarraceniacece^ which has this plant for its type, 

 is considered as allied by Sarracenia to the crow-foot tribe, and 

 by Heliamphora, a South American genus, to the poppy tribe. 

 231. The white Pond-lily {.N'ymjph(2a)\ is a splendid American 

 plant ; the flowers are large, showy, and fragrant. The gradual 

 change within from greenish sepals to white petals, and the 

 petaloid filaments showing the gradual progress of stamens to 

 petals, render this plant a good illustration of the transforma- 

 tion of these organs. The thickened rhizoma extends in muddy 

 soil to a great length, giving ofl' leaves and flowers which ap- 

 pear as if floating on the surface of the water of ponds and 

 lakes. The yellow Pond-lily {Nujpliar)^ though less showy, is 

 equally curious in its structure, and belongs, to the same natu- 

 ral family, JVympJiceaceoB^ in which is placed the new plant, 

 Victoria regina^ found in South America ; it is one of the 

 largest aquatic plants known ; the flowers are a foot in diame- 

 ter, and the leaves from four to six feet. In the class Poly- 

 andria is the Tea-tree (Thea) ; of this plant there are two 

 species, the bohea tea {bohea\ and the green tea {viridis). It is 

 a small evergreen tree or shrub, much branched, and covered 

 with a rough, dark-colored bark ; it is a native of China and 

 Japan. On account of the jealous policy of the Chinese, the 

 natural history of the Tea-plant is little known. Tea was intro 

 duced into Europe by the Dutch East India Company, in the 

 year 1666 ; for many years its great price limited its use to 

 the most wealthy. The Camellia Japonica, and some other 

 favorites of florists, are placed in the Natural family with the 

 Tea plants. The numerous stamens of the poppy {Papaver) 

 stand upon the receptacle around the base of the ovary ; its 

 large stigma, with the two caducous sepals, are conspicuous 

 characters. Single popj^ies have but four petals ; but the 

 change of stamens to petals is very common in this flower. 

 From the jpapaver soinniferioon is obtained the opium of com- 



* See Plate iii., Fig. 5. 



+ An extensive locality of this plant exists upon the Saratoga Lake ; its surface for a quarter of a 

 mile may be seen whitened by these lilies, occasionally intermixed with the yellow lilies, atul the rioh 

 bine of the Pontederia, another beautiful aquatic plant. 



231. Pond lilies — Victoria regina — Tea-tree — Poppy — Opium. 



