Taxonomy Nymphaea gigantae. 



129 



dark colored, ellipsoid, apiculate, usually covered with interrupted longitudinal lines 

 of hairs " (Casp. 1865). (See table of measurements of flowers, below.) 



Submerged leaves from sprouting tuber (Fig. 34) 2 or 3, entire, green above, red- 

 dish beneath. First leaf triangular-hastate, with rounded apex and angles, and nearly 

 straight sides; sinus, very broad and shallow. Second leaf ovate-sagittate, broadly 

 rounded at apex ; sinus broadly triangular, lobes narrowly rounded. First floating leaf 

 ovate, with deep open sinus and rounded apex and lobes; margin slightly irregular- 

 wavy. Second and third leaves similar, with narrower sinus and margins distinctly 

 sinuate-dentate on outer side of lobes; first two dull green beneath, third suffused 

 with purplish blue, and with a few blackish spots. 



Leaf of mature plant very narrowly peltate, orbicular-ovate or elliptic, 60 cm. or 

 less in diameter, breadth : length = 1 : 1.4 ; margin flat or slightly wavy, sharply den- 

 tate; teeth short, acute (or obtuse, Casp. 1865 and Mrs. Rowan's paintings), 2.5 cm. 

 apart and 0.6 cm. long ; upper surface green and veiny, minutely elevate-punctate ; un- 

 der surface glabrous, brownish pink when young, becoming Tyrian purple when full 

 grown. Veins prominently reticulated on under side of leaf; primary nerves 9 or 10 

 on each side; length of principal area: length of radius of leaf = 1: 1.33. Depth of 

 sinus =0.37 of length of leaf; margins entire, touching or slightly overlapping within, 

 then curving out, becoming 7.5 to 15 cm. apart at periphery of leaf; angles produced 

 into a fine subulate tooth. Petiole smooth, terete, 60 to 150 cm. long, with 2 large 

 air-canals, 2 smaller ones before and behind these, and a surrounding ring of 10 still 

 smaller ones ; 2 double bundles anteriorly and posteriorly, with a peripheral ring of 1 1 

 bundles. Stipules absent, but petiole winged at base, the wings gradually vanishing 

 above. 



Rhizome (tuber) ovoid; small ones (Fig. 14) nearly spherical, 1.6 to 1.75 cm. in 

 diameter, contracted above, the vegetative bud springing abruptly from the rounded 

 summit; larger tubers with prominent leaf-bases. Each flower subtended by two 

 leaves, the peduncular scars on the rhizome forming an oblique series alternating with 

 two series of leaf-scars (Casp. 1865). 



Measurements of Flower from University of Pennsylvania Botanic Garden, 1900 (in cm). 



10 



