2316 



NYMPHOIDES 



NYSSA 



hardiest of American species; its mottled, variegated 

 leaves, about 2 inches broad, are very attractive, regard- 

 less of its dainty, white, miniature flowers. It is best 

 grown under natural conditions, in pools and still water, 

 and in water about 2 feet deep. It may also be grown in 

 tubs, as a surface covering, with a few tall plants in 

 the center. N. aquaticum, commonly known as the fairy 

 water-lily, is a much stronger grower: leaves deep 

 green, and, when grown in natural ponds, attain large 

 proportions, 4 to 6 inches broad, and bears innumerable 

 flowers, more like flakes of snow. It is also valuable for 

 tub culture, similar to the preceding species N. indi- 

 cum, commonly called water snowflake, is undoubt- 



2558. Nyssa sylvatica. ( X Yz) 



edly the most interesting and attractive of any, and 

 deserving of most general cultivation. The leaves are of 

 a light green color, heart-shaped, and it produces flowers 

 in greater abundance, which are much larger and 

 covered completely with hirsute glands. These, as in 

 the other species, are produced in clusters on the 

 petioles, near the surface, and, although they are of 

 but one day's duration, they are produced in such 

 quantities that there is never any lack of these delicate 

 flowers all through the season. In tub culture, this 

 species will soon crowd itself over the edge of an ordinary 

 tub, and, although the leaves no longer float on the 

 surface, it does not affect the growth or the proliferous- 

 ness of its flowering. When grown in tubs, the recepta- 

 cle should be filled two-thirds with moderately rich, 

 loamy soil, covered with sand, and filled and kept filled 

 with water. All three species, when strong enough to 

 produce flowering leaves or petioles, send forth new 

 shoots, as each cluster of flowers apparently terminates 

 with a bud and produces leaves; these, when strong, 

 produce flower-buds and leaf-buds again, and thus 

 soon reproduce themselves. N. aquaticum produces a 

 cluster of fleshy roots, with a bud from single leaves in 

 fall, which are plentiful in Florida in the season. These 

 are excellent for distribution, and can be sent safely a 

 great distance. The petioles are very brittle and easily 

 snap off, but the floating leaf soon emits roots at the 

 broken end as well as where the flower-buds are located; 

 thus it is very free and proliferous. These are very 

 desirable aquatic plants. The fourth species, N. pel- 

 tatum, is a rampant, weedy plant, although its mot- 

 tled foliage is beautiful and the flower is much larger 

 than those of the above plants. Its habit of growth is 

 also different, it produces runners, and rambles over an 

 immense space; it also produces seed in great quantity, 

 which, when ripe, floats on the surface for a short time, 

 then sinks to the bottom; it is best confined to the limits 

 of a tub, where it grows freely and produces its large 

 yellow flowers in profusion. It is hard to eradicate when 

 once established, as it is perfectly hardy. All the 

 floating-hearts are very pretty and useful for tub cul- 

 ture, but after knowing the water-lilies the general 

 public desires more bold and striking plants. (Wm. 

 Tricker ) 



A. Color of fls. yellow. 

 B. Fls. accompanied by clusters of tubers. 

 lacunosum, Kuntze (Limndnthemum lacunosum, 

 Griseb. Villdrsia lacunosa, Vent.). Sts. sometimes 

 10 ft. long: Ivs. orbicular-cordate, purplish beneath, 

 1-2 in. long: fls. 3-6 lines across; segms. ovate, acute: 

 seeds smooth. July, Aug. Ponds, Nova Scotia to 

 Fla. and La., west to Minn. 



BB. Fls. not accompanied by clusters of tubers. 



peltatum, Brit. & Rend. (N. nymphseoides, Brit. 

 Limndnthemum nymphseoides, Hoffm. & Link. Menydn- 

 thes nymphseoides, Linn.). Plant stout and branching: 

 Ivs. 2-4 in. broad: fls. 1 in. across or more; segms. obcor- 

 date, short-fringed. May- July. Eu., Asia; naturalized 

 in District of Columbia. Simulates Limnocharis Hum- 

 boldtii in habit. 



AA. Color of fls. white (varying to yellow in the last). 

 B. Seeds rough. 



aquaticum, Kuntze (L. trachyspermum, Gray. Vil- 

 ldrsia aqudtica, Gmel.). Stouter and larger than N. 

 lacunosum: Ivs. cordate orbicular, thick, entire or 

 repand, 2-6 in. long, spongy: tubers thick: fls. 6-10 

 lines broad. April-July. N. J. to Fla. and Texas. 



BB. Seeds smooth. 



indicum, Kuntze (L. indicum, Thwaites. Meny- 

 dnthes indica, Linn.). WATER SNOWFLAKE. Fls. white, 

 yellow toward the base within; segms. fimbriated, 

 densely papillose, without a longitudinal fold down the 

 middle. Tropics. Gn.M 4:182. There is said to be a 

 rich yellow variety. WILHELM MILLER. 



L. H. B.f 



NYSSA (name of a water nymph; these trees grow 

 in swamps). Nyssacese, formerly included in Corndcess. 

 TUPELO. PEPPERIDGE. SOUR GUM. Ornamental trees 

 planted chiefly for their handsome foliage and brilliant 

 autumnal tints. 



Deciduous: Ivs. alternate, petioled, entire or rarely 

 remotely toothed, stipulate: fls. polygamo-dicecious, 

 minute, greenish white, in slender peduncled clusters; 

 the staminate fls. slender-pedicelled in many-fld. 

 clusters; calyx cup-shaped, 5-toothed; petals 5, imbri- 

 cate, inserted on the margin of the conspicuous disk; 

 stamens 5, exserted; ovary 0; pistillate fls. sessile, 1 or 2, 

 or in few-fld. clusters; calyx-tube campanulate, 5- 

 toothed, petals small ; stamens 5-10, short, anthers often 

 sterile; ovary 1-2-celled; style slender, recurved: fr. an 

 oblong drupe, usually 1-seeded, with a bony, ridged 

 or winged stone. Five species in N. Amer. and 2 in 

 Asia. 



The tupelos are bold and picturesque trees with 

 medium-sized or rather large, generally obovate or 

 oblong lustrous leaves, insignificant greenish white 

 flowers in slender-stalked clusters or solitary, and con- 

 spicuous, blue, red or purple oblong solitary or paired 

 fruits. They are chiefly valued for the flaming scarlet 

 of their autumn foliage and for the distinctness of their 

 winter aspect. N. sylvatica is hardy North, while the 

 other species are tenderer. They grow in swamps and 

 are usually 40 to 60 feet high, attaining a maximum of 

 100 feet. Old specimens often have a melancholy 

 appearance by reason of the drooping habit of the lower 

 limbs. The upper branches of a tupelo are often twiggy, 

 crooked or "kinky." Tupelos are hard to transplant 

 from the wild, even when heavily pruned, because they 

 have remarkably long roots with few rootlets. Nursery- 

 grown trees that have been frequently transplanted are 

 preferable. Propagation is by seeds sown at once or 

 stratified ; if allowed to become dry, they do not germi- 

 nate until the second year; sometimes increased by 

 layers which, however, root slowly. 



sylvatica, Marsh. (N. multiflora, Wang.). TUPELO. 

 PEPPERIDGE. BLACK GUM. SOUR GUM. Figs. 2558, 



