Brasenia. CABOMBACEiE. 37 



Stem 1-15 feet long, according to tlie depth of water. Every part of the plant, except 

 the upper surface of the leaves, of a dull purple color. Leaves 2-4 inches long and 1^-2 

 inches wide, very entire, exactly elliptical, with the petiole inserted in the centre ; upper 

 surface shining; veins 11-14, radiating from the centre. Peduncles 3-6 inches long. 

 Flowers an inch in diameter. Petals and sepals elhptical-linear. Ovaries in one or more 

 whorls ; tapering into a short linear style, which is stigmatose on the inner surface. Carpels 

 somewhat ventricose. Seeds often solitary, roundish-obovoid ; testa thick and crustaceous. 



Floating in still water : Long Island, and in the valley of the Hudson, as far north as 

 Troy. I have not observed it in the northern counties. Fl. Latter part of June - July. Fr. 

 August. — This plant is remarkable for its beautifully peltate leaves, and the order to which 

 it belongs, for the very unusual insertion of the ovules. It is remarkable that it is also a 

 native of New-Holland. See Endl. gen. I. c. 



Order VIL NELUMBIACEiE. Bartl. The Sacred-Bean Tribe. 



Calyx of 4 - 5 deciduous sepals. Petals numerous, inserted in several rows at 

 the base of a large fleshy obconical torus. Stamens numerous, inserted in the 

 torus in several rows ; the filaments petaloid : anthers adnate and introrse. 

 Ovaries numerous, separately immersed in little hollows of the very large flat- 

 topped torus : ovule sohtary, suspended, anatropous. Style short : stigma 

 minute, capitate. Nuts numerous, ovoid-globose, at length loose and more 

 than half immersed in the torus, crowned with the short style. Seed destitute 

 of albumen. Embryo large, with two fleshy cotyledons ; the plumule highly 

 developed, consisting of a pair of primordial leaves, and a bud, enclosed in 

 the persistent membrane of the nucule. — Aquatic perennial plants, with large 

 centrally peltate leaves arising from a thick tuberous rhizoma. Flowers very 

 large. 



1. NELUMBIUM. Juss. ; Endl. gen. 5026. sacred bean. 



CAltered from iKhmbo, the Ceylon name.] 



Character same as of the order. 



