Taxonomy Nymphaea capensis. 155 



yellow, rounded at apex, 0.64 cm. long on back, 0.16 cm. wide at base. Stigmatic 

 rays extending up two-thirds of the length of the styles, and ending at an acute 

 angle but with rounded apex. Axile process conical, white, translucent. Fruit 

 depressed spheroidal, 5.7 cm. in diameter by 3.6 cm. high, crowned with the compara- 

 tively long (0.64 cm.) obtuse incurved styles; stigma concave. Seed ellipsoidal to 

 nearly globose, 0.16 cm. by o.l cm. (average) (0.15 by o.n; 0.16 by 0.09; 0.17 by 

 0.11), acuminate at hilum, dull dark olive-brown, with about 18 interrupted longitudinal 

 lines of rather long hairs, giving the seeds a rough appearance to the naked eye, and 

 making" i:hem roll about irregularly. 



Germination immediate or after drying off. First leaf of seedling filiform, 1.75 

 to 2 cm. long. Second leaf elliptic, I.I cm. long by 0.46 cm. wide, rounded at both 

 ends. Third leaf broadly elliptic, 1.1 cm. long by 0.64 cm. wide, rounded at apex, 

 abruptly rounded at base. Late submerged leaf nearly orbicular, entire, deeply cor- 

 date, broadly rounded at apex, lobes rounded, diverging 30 to 40 ; length of leaf 2.4 

 cm., width 2.2 cm., depth of sinus 1 cm., petiole stout, about 1.3 cm. long by 0.08 cm. 

 thick. 



Germinating tuber produces 3 or 4 submerged leaves. First leaf broadly trian- 

 gular with rounded angles and truncate base ; second leaf ovate-cordate, apex abruptly 

 short-acuminate, sides parallel in lower half, sinus about 8o open, with straight mar- 

 gins and rounded angles ; third leaf cordate-ovate, with rounded apex and lobes, sinus 

 deep and wide, open about 45 ; fourth leaf similar to third, but with acute angles and 

 margin a little wavy on outside of lobes. First floating leaf coriaceous, orbicular- 

 ovate, narrowly peltate (0.25 cm.), margin slightly wavy in lower half, excavated on 

 outer side of angles of lobes; apex rounded; sinus deep, narrow, margins convex, 

 touching above, angles obtuse or subacute. 



Leaf of mature plant narrowly peltate (1.3 to 1.6 cm.), orbicular or orbicular- 

 ovate, 25 to 40 cm. in diameter, thin and soft in texture, doubly or trebly sinuate den- 

 tate, somewhat crisped, teeth mostly rounded, sometimes angular and obtuse, depres- 

 sions between teeth 0.3 to 1.3 cm. deep; apex of leaf rounded. Upper surface bright 

 green, depressed-veiny, somewhat brown-spotted when young; astomatic area large, 

 paler in color, umbonate over the insertion of the petiole. Stomata very many and 

 small on most of the lamina, larger and scattered at margins of astomatic area. Under 

 surface pea-green, veins all prominent, 10 to 12 on each side; length of principal area: 

 radius of leaf =1:1.1 to 2.0. Sinus, depth: length of leaf = 1 : 1 to 1.16, margins 

 overlapping above, diverging toward periphery, angles produced, acuminate, awn- 

 tipped. Petiole terete, dark green, about 1 cm. in diameter, 60 to 150 cm. long, with 

 4 main air-canals, 2 larger and 2 smaller, and 10 small ones surrounding these ; trans- 

 verse section near the leaf shows several large thickened fibers in the parenchyma 

 and around the periphery ; stellate cells very few, with short, thick rays. Both of these 

 types of cell diminish in prominence further down the petiole. Base of petiole finely 

 puberulent. Stipules partly adnate. 



Rhizome (tuber) ovoid; small ones distinctly egg-shaped, smooth in lower two- 

 thirds of length, tapering above to the bud, 2.5 cm. long by 1.5 to 1.6 in diameter; 

 older ones clothed with long, dark silky hairs and thickly beset with leaf-bases; pro- 

 ducing no offsets during active growth. Roots spring from the bases of the petioles. 



