20 The Waterlilies. 



included, namely, the European species N. alba, and perhaps N. Candida, 

 and the Egyptian white lotus, N. lotus L. The blue Egyptian lotus, 

 IV. caerulea Sav., mentioned by Athenaeus and Alpinus, is quite left out. 



A unique volume is Gerard's " Herball or Generall Historie of 

 Plantes " published in 1636. Of his five "Water Lillies" only the first 

 would now be placed in the genus Nymphaea ; this is " Nymphaea alba, 

 White Water Lillie," given in the index of the work, however, as " N. alba 

 major." The second species is "Nymphaea lutea," our Nuphar; the 

 Others have no relationship with the Nymphaeaceae. The figures of 

 the first, second, fourth and fifth species were apparently printed from 

 the same blocks as were those of Matthiolus, and the text is but an 

 abbreviated translation of the same writer. The Egyptian lotus is not 

 mentioned at all by Gerard. 



Vesling, editing Alpinus in 1640, recognized the difference between the 

 European and Egyptian white waterlilies and discussed their relationships. 

 He tells us also that the white lotus flower is woven into triumphal crowns. 



In the same year Parkinson's fascinating " Theatrum " appeared ; his 

 archaic English is most entertaining. He gives a burning paragraph on 

 the " Egyptian bean " question, having full knowledge of that plant 

 (which we know as Nelumbo), and arraigning Matthiolus for his " false " 

 and imaginary figure of it (Fig. 4). At no point does he refer to this 

 plant as " lotus." In chapter 29 he gives " Nymphaea, the Water Lilly," 

 with seven species : 



1. N. alba major vulgaris, The great common white Water Lilly. 



2. N. alba major Aegyptiaca sive Lotus Aegyptia, The great white Water Lilly 



of Egypt. 



3. N. alba minor [Not a Nymphaea as now understood]. 



4. N. alba minima quae et Morsus ranae vocatur. 



5. N. lutea major [Nuphar] . 



6. N. minima lutea \ rxT . XT , , ,-\ 



,_ , ,, . > LMot Nymphaea as now understood J. 



7. N. lutea llore minore ) 



The first is of course our N. alba L. ; it is illustrated by a copy of 

 Lobel's figure (Fig. 5). The second is our N. lotus L., and is accom- 

 panied by Alpinus' figure of the whole plant. Referring to the resting 

 period of this plant in winter, Parkinson suggests perhaps in criticism of 

 Alpinus that the plant has been therefore " called annual, but I would 

 call it restible." 



A compilation of former observations with valuable comments, was 

 made by Bodaeus a Stapel in the 1644 (Amsterdam) edition of Theophras- 



