46 WATER-LILY FAMILY. 



6. JEFFERS6NIA, TWIN-LEAF. (Named for Thomas Jefferson.) 



J. diphylla, sonn-timcs called KIIEUMATISM-ROOT. Wild in rich woods, 

 W. & S., sometimes cult. ; the pretty white llower and the leaves both long- 

 stalked, from the ground, appearing in early spring. 



6. PODOPHYLLUM, MAY-APPLE, or MANDRAKE. (Name means 

 foot-leaf, the 5 7 -parted leaf likened to a webbed-foot.) 



P. pelt&tum. Wild in rich soil : the long running rootstocks (which are 

 poisonous and medicinal) send up in spring some stout stalks terminated by a 

 large, 7 - 9-lobed, regular, umbrella-shaped leaf (i. e. peltate in the middle), an:l 

 sonic which bear two one-sided leaves (peltate near their inner edge), with a large 

 white flower nodding in the fork. The sweet pulpy fruit as large as a pullet's 

 3gg, ripe in summer : rarely 2 or more to one flower. 



6. NYMPH^IACE^E, WATER-LILY FAMILY. 



Aquatic perennial herbs, with the leaves which float on the 

 surface of the water or rise above it mostly peltate or roundish- 

 heart-shaped, their margins inrolled in the bud, long-petioled ; axil- 

 lary 1-flowered peduncles ; sepals and petals hardly ever 5, the 

 latter usually numerous and imbricated in many rows. The genera 

 differ so widely in their botanical characters that they must be 

 de>cribed separately. One of them is the famous Amazon Water- 

 Lily, VICTORIA REGIA, with floating leaves 3 feet or more in diam- 

 eter, and the magnificent flowers almost in proportion ; while the 

 dull flowers of Water-shield are only half an inch long. 



1. BIIASENIA. Sepals and petals eacli 3 or 4, narrow, and much alike, dull pur- 



?le. Stamens 12-18: filaments slender. Pistils 4 - 18, forming indehiscent 

 -3-seeded pods. All the parts separate and persistent. Ovules commonly 

 on the dorsal suture! Embryo, &e. as in Water-Lily. 



2. NELUMB1UM. Sepals and petals many and passing gradually into each other, 



deciduous. Stamens very many, on the receptacle, the upper part of which 

 is enlarged into a top-shaped body, bearing a dozen or more ovaries, each 

 tipped with a flat stigma and separately immersed in as many hollows. (Les- 

 sons, p. 126, fig. 284.) In fruit these form 1-seeded nuts, resembling small 

 acorns. The whole kernel of the seed is embryo, a pair of fleshy and 'farina- 

 ceous cotyledons enclosing a plumule of 2 or 3 rudimentary green leaves. 



8. NYMPH^EA. Sepals 4, green outside. Petals numerous, many times 4, pass- 

 ing somewhat gradually into the numerous stamens ( Lessons,' p. uy, fig. 198): 

 both organs grow attached to the globular many-celled ovary, the former 

 to its sides which they cover, the latter borne on its depressed summit. 

 Around a little knob at the top of the ovary the numerous stigmas radiate as 

 in a poppv-head, ending in long and narrow incurved lobes. Fruit like the 

 ovary enlarged, still covered by the decaying persistent bases of the petals : 

 numerous seeds cover the partitions. Kipe seeds each in an arillus or bag 

 open at the top. (Lessons, p. 135, fig. 318.) Embryo, like that of Nelumbium 

 on a very small scale, but enclosed in a bag, and at the end of the kernel, th 

 rest of which is mealy albumen. 



4. NLTIIAR. Sepals usually 6 or 5, partly green outside. Petals many small 

 and thickish bodies inserted under the 'ovary along with the very numerous 

 short stamens. Ovary naked, truncate at t'lie top, which is many-rayed by 

 stigmas, fleshy in frnft: the internal structure as in Nymphocu, only there is 

 no arillus to the seeds. 



1. BRASENIA, WATER-SHIELD. (Name unexplained.) One species, 



B. pelt&ta. I" still, rather deep water : stems rising to the surface, slen- 

 der, coated with clear jelly, hearing floating oval centrally-peltate leaves (2' -3' 

 long), and purplish small flowers, produced all summer. * 



2. NELUMBIUM, NELUMBO. (Ceyloncse name.) Rootstocks inter- 

 rupted and tuberous, sending up, usually out of water, very long petioles and 



