NYMPH^EA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



NYMPH^A. 



709 



//. Gladstoniana, Has white flowers of 

 great size, sometimes 8 inches across. They 

 are free from all trace of colour and stand well 

 above the water on stout stems, the whole 

 plant being of free and open habit. One of 

 the first to bloom in spring, and the last 

 flowers are only cut down by autumn frosts. 



N. gloriosa. Bears massive flowers 7 inches 

 across, rich dark red with orange-coloured 

 stamens, and fragrant. Being slow to spread 

 and difficult of increase, it should be left for 

 several years undisturbed, and while of strong 

 growth, it sometimes dies off suddenly. The 

 flowers are very full, and floating, the lower 

 petals often prettily tipped with rosy-white 

 during the heat of summer, becoming deeper 

 and more uniform towards the autumn. This 

 is the only kind always bearing five sepals. 



N. graziella. A new French seedling of 

 peculiar orange-red colour streaked with green, 

 flowering without a break till quite the end of 

 the season. 



N. James Brydon. A distinct sort with 

 flowers of 4 to 6 inches wide, of a soft rose- 

 crimson ; petals finely rounded and curving 

 inwards, with a paler, silvery sheen beneath, 

 and stamens of bright orange. An excellent 

 kind, quite hardy. 



N. James Gurney, with fair-sized flowers of 

 deep rose, coming near N. Ellisiania. 



N. Laydekeri fulgens. A flower of fine 

 colour and cupped, the rounded petals of 

 crimson-purple showing paler within and en- 

 closing a cluster of vivid red stamens. Like 

 all of this group, it is a good plant for tanks. 



N. Laydekeri lilacea. Very free in its small 

 flowers of soft rosy-lilac tipped with clear 

 pink, their colour deepening to rosy-crimson 

 on the third day. They are held well above 

 the water, shining with an almost silvery 

 lustre in bright sunlight, and scented like a 

 tea-rose. The plant does best in shallow water, 

 and is one of the earliest to show flower. 



N. Laydekeri purpurata. A telling flower, 

 larger than others in this group, and very 

 shapely with its long pointed petals. They 

 are early, free, and fragrant, of a conspicuous 

 shade of wine-red with orange-red stamens. 



N. Laydekeri rosea. One of the most use- 

 ful of hardy Water-lilies, with fragrant, pale 

 pink flowers, passing through several shades 

 to deep rose as they fade away. It does best 

 in shallow water and gives so few offsets that 

 several plants should be grouped to secure the 

 full effect of the changing flowers. 



N. Laydekeri rosea prolifera. In this form 

 the one fault of the parent its difficult in- 

 crease is met by a free yield of offsets from 

 the fleshy rhizome. These bloom when small, 

 surrounding the parent with a succession of 

 flowers, and providing increase. From this 

 point of view it is a valuable gain. 



N. hiciana. Like odorata caroliniana in all 

 save the deeper and uniform rose-pink of its 

 medium-sized flowers. 



N. lucida. With massive flowers opening 

 starwise and rosy-vermilion in colour, paling 

 towards the edges and the tips of the petals 



and deepening [towards the cluster of orange 

 j stamens. The leaves, borne upon very long 

 stems, are bold and finely blotched with chest- 

 nut-red above and reddish streaks beneath. 



N. Marliacea albida. A superb plant, 

 thriving in deep water, where it should be 

 sometimes thinned to avoid overcrowding ; 

 its massive white flowers of 8 or more inches 

 across, are pushed well above the water, and 

 last into October. They are of glistening 

 purity, fragrant, and very full of petals guard- 

 ing the cluster of golden anthers. The guard 

 petals are long and broad, but inside they 

 grow shorter and narrower towards the centre. 

 In large groups its general effect is fine. 



N. Marl, carnea. A noble hardy plant, in 

 colour a soft flesh-pink, deepening towards the 

 base of the petals and paling gradually to 

 white. It grows well in shallow or deep 

 water, flowering late, and showing its vanilla- 

 scented flowers well above the dark leaves. 



N.Marl. chromatella. The first yellow kind 

 sent out, a free and fine plant, but apt to get 

 crowded, and when this happens it does not 

 flower so well. Being vigorous it is a good 

 plant for deep open water, where its large 

 flowers of canary-yellow show finely against 

 the dark brown leaves, and remain open for a 

 long while each day. 



N. Marl, flammea. A handsome, though in- 

 aptly named, flower of medium size, being a 

 deep wine-red rather than flame-colour, with 

 red stamens and petals flaked with white to- 

 wards the tips. Leaves streaked with reddish- 

 brown. 



N. Marl, ignea. One of the brightest in 

 its uniform carmine-red, deepening slightly 

 towards the crown of vivid orange-red stamens ; 

 sepals pale olive-green edged with rose be- 

 neath, and paler above. Though not large, 

 the flowers are good in colour, composed of 

 eighteen cupped and shapely petals. 



N. Marl, rosea. Another stout grower, 

 thriving in deep water, to which its long slender 

 stems are suited. Flowers rose colour, chang- 

 ing to flesh-pink, broader in petal and fuller 

 than in M. carnea, with the colour deepening 

 towards the tips. Young leaves purplish-red, 

 changing to deep green. 



N. Marl, rubro-ptmctata. Flowers of great 

 size borne freely and through a long season. 

 Petals rosy-purple, tipped and flaked with 

 pink ; stamens orange-red. 



N. odorata. The white American Pond- 

 lily, common in the eastern States and with 

 all the beauty of our own, and fragrant. It 

 varies much in size and colour, and (being of 

 moderate growth) is well suited to tanks. The 

 leaf may be anything from 5 to 10 inches 

 across, nearly round, and purplish when young, 

 changing to pure green and reddish beneath. 

 Flowers of 3 to 5 inches, composed of narrow 

 pointed petals, long in the bud. 



N. odorata caroliniana. The leaves are 

 green above and red beneath, and though 

 nearly a foot across when fully grown, the 

 plant is only of moderate growth and not too 

 vigorous for a tank. Though easily divided, 



