XYMPH.^EA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



NYMPH.^A. 



68 5 



common water rat or vole is an active 

 destroyer of the flowers, and where it 

 inhabits water, as it commonly does all 

 ponds and streams, nearly all the flowers 

 will be destroyed if this animal is not con- 

 stantly kept down. 



N. ' alba ( White Water - lily}. Our 

 native Water-lily is often in flower before 

 May is over, and in a wild state is usually 

 finest where there is a depth of from 2 to 

 3 ft. of water over the crowns. Rosea is a 

 pretty pink form, but does not bloom 

 freely. N. a. candidissima has broad, 

 showy, pure white flowers, blooming early, 

 and is in beauty often till late autumn. 

 The variety plenissima is remarkable for 

 the number of petals composing the 

 flowers, and maxima, as the name 

 suggests, has large flowers. Minor is a 

 small-flowered form ; the flowers very 

 double. 



creased by division. There are several 

 varieties. N. o. sulphurea has prettily 

 marbled leaves, and the long-pointed buds 

 are quite 4 in. in length, opening into 

 spreading flowers nearly 8 in. across, and 

 of delicious scent. The colour is a good 

 yellow. The variety grandiflora has yellow, 

 sweet-scented flowers. The large leaves 

 are mottled with brown above, but spotted 

 with red on the reverse side. N. o. 

 rosacea has flowers about 4 in. across, 

 bright rose in colour, with yellow centre, 

 of sweet fragrance ; the petals narrow, the 

 flower being like a pink star floating 

 amongst the leaves. N. o. exquisita is a 

 very deep-coloured kind, the flower being 

 rich rose-carmine in fact, almost red at 

 the base of the petals. Superba is a fine 

 form, with flowers larger than those of the 

 type, and minor, as the name suggests, is 

 small, but pretty. This is found in the 



Hardy American Water-lily (N. tuberosa). 



N. tuberosa. This is a North Ameri- 

 can kind, hardy and beautiful. It has 

 not the long, thick, fleshy root-stock 

 peculiar to most Nymphasas, but instead 

 a thick, fleshy tuberous mass of roots ; 

 hence its name. Its flowers, opening in 

 the latter half of summer and throughout 

 the autumn, are white, larger, longer, and 

 broader in the petal than those of other 

 wild species ; and it can be increased 

 readily by division, and is free in growth 

 even in open unsheltered water. 



N. odorata (Sweet^ Water-lily}. This 

 North American species is a near ally of | 

 N. alba, but has rather larger flowers, and j 

 borne from June till autumn, sweetly j 

 scented, and usually white. The species j 

 is found in lakes or slow-running streams, j 

 and it grows readily, and is easily in- | 



ponds of New Jersey. N. o. Caroliniana 

 is described by Mr. Gerard, of New Jersey, 

 as the finest of the odorata varieties, and 

 it is supposed to be a cross between N. 

 odorata rosea and N. alba candidissima. 

 N. o. gigantea is a large-flowered variety ; 

 but where to get all these fine forms of 

 | this hardy Water-lily is a question that 

 ! many are likely to ask in vain for the 

 ! present. 



N. pygmaBa is the smallest of the Water- 

 lilies. It comes from China and Siberia, 

 flowering before all others, and remaining 

 in beauty over a long season. Its leaves 

 are about the size of the palm of a man's 

 hand, and the flowers, which consist of 

 four white petals, besides the inner parts, 

 are, when open, only about 2 in. across. 

 Helvola is a dainty little \Vater-lily raised 



