144 



The Waterlilies. 



thin and quickly withering, slightly wavy or sinuate in the basal half, apex slightly 

 emarginate, dark green and obscurely veiny above, color darker over insertion of peti- 

 ole. Under surface paler green, with numerous small dark purple blotches, which are 

 larger near the midrib than at the periphery ; margins purplish, shading from dark red- 

 purple at the extreme edge to green, the transition taking place in the course of about 

 i cm. near sinus angles, in about 2.5 cm. at apex of leaf. Veins prominent out to the 

 fifth grade ; primary nerves 6 to 10 on each side of leaf. Petiole attached by quite a 

 strong " collar." Length of principal area: radius of leaf = 1:1.3 to 1.7. Sinus usu- 

 ally closed; depth: length of leaf = 1 : 2.7 (= 13.5 cm. :3s. 7 cm.); margins doubly 

 curved, convex and overlapping above, separating about 2.5 cm. from periphery of leaf 

 and becoming parallel ; angles subacute, slightly produced, about 0.6 cm. apart. Petiole 

 terete, or flattened near the leaf, about 0.6 cm. in diameter, dull brownish-green ; with 

 2 larger upper air-canals, and 2 smaller ones below, and a ring of 12 still smaller ones 

 outside. Stipules smooth, fused at base, short, distant above, acuminate, very acute; 

 1.9 to 2.2 cm. long, 1.3 cm. wide at base; free portion 1.1 to 1.6 cm. long, 0.5 cm. 

 wide ; tips 0.9 to 1.2 cm. apart. 



Rhizome (tuber) erect, thick, ovoid, 2.5 to 7.5 cm. long by 2 to 6.4 cm. in diam- 

 eter, blackish, apex protected by leaf-bases and long fine hairs. Phyllotaxy of a very 

 high order, the leaf-bases completely covering the larger rhizomes, leaving only about 

 0.3 cm. around each one. Roots springing from the bases of the petioles. Offsets 

 formed only when the tuber breaks out from the dried state; 2 or 3 shoots may come 

 from one tuber; the stolon is terminal, very short, the point of origin of new leaves 

 remaining within the coating of long hairs. 



Measurements of Sepals. 



