Plants of the Punjab. 



629 



WATEE PLANTS. 



Herbs with Alternate Stipulate Simple Leaves, 



Petals ununited. 



Nymphaea alba, 

 Water-Lily, 



Brimposh, nilofar. 



NYMPHiEACE^. 



F.B.Li. 114. 

 Kashmir. 



large, perennial, rootstock creeping, submerged j 

 leaves 5-10 in. diam., base heart-shaped, nearly circular, 

 quite entire, floating, stalks long, hollow, in deep water 

 ribbon-Hke, submerged leaves are sometimes found, stipules 

 at the base of stalks ; flowers 3-4 in. diam., floating, stalks 

 long from rootstock, sepals 4, petals many, stamens many, 

 petaloid, anthers without appendages, linear, poflen 

 bristly, stigmas 6, forming a rosette of 6 rays m the centre 

 of the top of the round berry 1|- in. long in which the 16 

 carpels containing many minute seeds are sunk, at first 

 the carpels sink to the bottom and ripen, then burst, 

 the seeds first float then sink. 



Nymphaea Lotus, 



Chota Kamval. 

 Nymph^ce^. 

 F.B.Li. 114. 

 The Plains. 



like the last species, but rootstock short, erect, tuber- 

 ous, leaves undulating sharp-toothed, arrow-shaped when 

 young, flowers often pink or red, sepals blunt, ribbed, 

 pollen smooth, anthers without appendages. The root i3 

 often eaten, and is used as a cooling medicine and de- 

 mulcent. 



Nymphaea stellata, 



Bambher, nilpadma. 



NYMPHiEACE^. 



F. B. L i. 114. 



The Plains. 



like the last species, but the leaves often entire, flowers 

 sometimes blue or purple, petals 10-30, stamens 10-30, 

 stigmas 10-30, anthers with long appendages. The root 

 and seeds are often eaten. 



Euryale f erox, 

 Gorgon fruit, 



Makhana, jewar, 

 Nymph^ace.e. 

 F.B.Li. 115. 

 Kashmir. 



large, perennial, densely prickly, stemless, rootstock 

 thick, short ; leaves 1-4 ft. diam., oval or circular, green 

 above, downy reddish beneath with strong spiny ribs ; 

 flowers 1-2 in. long, partially submerged, violet inside, green 

 and shining outside, sepals 4, erect, with recurved spines 

 on their backs, petals 20 or so, in 3-5 series, shorter than 

 the sepals, narrowly-ovate-oblong, stamens many, in 

 bundles of 8, linear, stigma depressed, concave discoid ; 

 berry 2-4 in. diam., nearly round, prickly, crowned with 

 the persistent sepals, seeds 8-20, size of a pea to a cherry, 

 coat pulpy, skin thick, black. The seeds are roasted and 

 eaten, and considered very digestible and very strengthen 

 ing. 



