202 The Waterlilies. 



excavated, forming a scoop-like depression about 0.3 cm. deep, which receives the tip 

 of the bud and covers it above and on three sides; outermost (anterior) and right 

 sepal slightly hooded, left sepal very slightly hooded. Margins of innermost sepal 

 covered in the bud, about 0.16 cm. wide, whitish and semi-transparent. All veinless, 

 persistent in fruit. Petals 16 to 20, of a yellowish-white color, rather thick and leath- 

 ery, a little shorter than the sepals, deeply concave and slightly hooded at apex; 

 when cut off from the receptacle (of a closed flower), the basal portion curls inward 

 strongly, showing the tension to which it has been subjected in closure. Outer petal 

 broadly elliptic, obtuse, obscurely n-nerved; second and third series similar; fourth 

 series similar but broader in proportion at middle and base, and more rounded at 

 apex; fifth series becoming acute at apex. Stamens 136 to 188, yellowish-white, with 

 dirty yellow anthers, unappendaged. The lowest series of 8 have broad filaments with 

 a fleshy midrib and parallel anther cells; filaments of second series about one-third 

 as wide as the first, the inner ones becoming more slender and placed without visible 

 order; innermost filaments narrower than their anthers. Carpels 25 to 35, styles cla- 

 vate, about 1.3 cm. long, the enlarged tip 0.5 cm. long by nearly 0.3 cm. in diameter, 

 pure red around the end, the extreme tip whitish ; they stand alternately in two posi- 

 tions one is bent directly inward so that the tip touches the stigmatic disc two-thirds 

 of the way to its center; the one on either side of this is coiled spirally so that the 

 apex lies beside and against its base, there being but one turn of the coil. Stigmatic 

 disc curved, scarcely depressed at center ; papillose area continued 0.3 cm. out on the 

 styles, where it ends obtusely. The stigmatic papillae break up at the flowering time 

 into a moist powdery mass of cells lying singly or in chains, of a golden yellow color. 

 Axile process 0.25 cm. high by 0.08 cm. in diameter, appearing as a slender acute rod 

 projecting half of its length from a narrow pit at the center of the flower. Ovary 

 spheroidal, 1.6 to 2.4 cm. in diameter, 1.12 to 1.42 cm. high. Ovules very numerous, 

 very small. Fruit sub-spherical, with sepals and outer petals standing loosely round 

 it, about 3.9 cm. in diameter. Seeds very small and very numerous, 0.1 cm. long by 

 0.074 cm. in diameter, reddish-brown in color, with a silvery appearance due to many 

 scattered long white hairs; raphe scarcely evident. 



Germination takes place as soon as seeds are shed. First leaf filiform, short 

 (0.95 cm. long). Second leaf spatulate, rounded at apex, tapering at base, 0.8 cm. 

 long by 0.32 cm. wide. Third leaf elliptic ovate. 



Leaf of mature plant orbicular-ovate, breadth : length = 1 : 1.2 to 1.18 (17.2 cm. 

 by 14.3 cm), rounded at apex, peltate by about 0.3 cm., thin and soft in texture; 

 margin entire, somewhat wavy up and down; upper surface green, yellowish toward 

 the center, with faint brownish spots. Under surface glabrous, brownish-red, with 

 numerous small spots of a blackish color. Veins all prominent, 7 to 9 on each side. 

 Length of principal area: radius of leaf =1:1.4 to 1.47 (2.4 cm. : 3.5 cm.). Sinus 

 open or closed, depth: length of leaf =1:2.3 to 2.6 (7 cm.: 17.2 cm.), margins ap- 

 proaching or overlapping, nearly straight above, becoming strongly curved outward 

 toward periphery, forming two broad, round, more or less widely separated lobes. 

 Astomatic area small ; stomata becoming larger and scattered near it, but stopping 

 rather suddenly. Petiole glabrous, except a ring of long simple hairs at its junction 

 with the leaf; 45 to 60 cm. long, 0.9 cm. in diameter; with two transversely placed 



