1102 



NYMPH^A 



Economic Value. — The seeds and root-stocks of seve- 

 ral Water-lilies, being very rich in starch, are used for 

 food in parts of Africa, Asia, Australia and tropical 

 America. The white-flowered species of Europe and 

 America have been reputed medicinal. The herbage of 

 all the species contains considerable tannin; nine sub- 

 stances of this class have been isolated from iV. alba. 



The Marliac Sybrkls. —Tvfo types of hardy, free- 

 flowering hybrids akin to If. alba and its variety rubra, 

 but of uncertain parentage, have been introduced in the 

 last 10 or 12 years, one of sturdy habit, raising its Ivs. 

 (4-8 in. across) and lis. (3-G in. across) well out of the 

 water when crowded, the other slender in growth, the Ivs. 

 (3-ti in. across) and fls. (2}^-4 in. across) usually float- 

 ing. Most of these superb varieties were introduced by 

 M. Latour-Marliac, of Temple-sur-Lot, France, whose 

 methods, however, remain a mystery. It seems highly 

 probable that excellent cultur 

 selection, and wise hybridizat 

 these magnificent results. Thi 

 volve only If. alh>i . i \ |i.- . .unl A -■ ■'' / , \ ai-. nixm . Thv 

 second starts wii h ■• |i ■ ! V, ,i//..i. v:ir. 



rosed and N.tii: r. ■ \ I •''../■(, var, /■"- 



«e(l, to which isa'i.hu, m xar.iiiL,' m. ^-r.^^'^. l.i 1 ..f .V. 



alba, var. rosea ami A. Ji ,..,,.„„„ ,• IhU il,is .I.ms ii.,t l.y 

 any means account for the whole group. Niarly all .■!' 

 both groups are entirely sterile. Believing that .V.<(llni, 

 and If. alba, var. rosea, have given a deciibal tom- U, 

 both groups, we have described them as au appendage- 

 to this species, though some have more the habit of If. 

 tetrayona. 



Important Species. — The following account, which 

 contains 93 varieties and about 30 synonyms, will seem 

 rather formidable to the beginner, but the sj.eeies ..f 

 the first importance are only 7 in num)>er: .V. /...'iis, 

 rubra, odorata, tuberosa, alba, Capensis ami Z'l ii:il',i ,i - 

 ensis. The great majority of the other names nineseiit 

 garden varieties and hybrids. It is iinpossiljle for any 

 form of arrangement to be clear and logical on the one 

 hand, and exhibit natural relationship on the other, at 

 least, not in a genus so greatly modified in cultivation. 

 However, the true species are prominently indicated by 

 bold-faced type and indention as usual, while their de- 

 rivatives are thrown into the background. 



Henry S. Conabd. 



Water-lilies or NrMPH.«AS are among the most royal, 

 gorgeous, diversified and universally admired plants in 

 cultivation. No class of plants in our public parks can 

 compete with them in attracting the people. Moreover, 

 America is the most highly favored country in the 

 world for the cultivation of aquatic plants. Ours is the 

 only country which can have so rich and continuous a 

 display of aquatics in flower from April to October in 

 the open without artificial heat. 



The Procession of the Water-lilies. — In our parks and 

 private gardens are to be seen, flowering early in spring, 

 all our native Nymphaeas, and others from Europe and 

 Asia. The species begin to flower in April and continue 

 until early fall, when a nnmher ..f the tiar,lv in-l.ri.ls 

 continue to flower unintenaii.te.lli mn il iln , ml ^i ih. 

 season. In the central staler an 1 ■ i i, i 



varieties decline when tnipeal \.. I m' h i ; 



nights and days are lioi. In ili- la-irrn -lan.anJ 

 especially near the masl, win re the nights are c-o..l, tin 

 ml ilie e.ilorof some of the pink 

 i'"lli.\ving the hardy Nym- 

 inn, in all their oriental spieii- 



season is much 



on, and bridging over 

 - Nymphseas, and the 

 ■al "N\'Tnpheeas, which 

 er end of .July or be- 



phseas come the Nel I'n 



dor, brightening' M,- i.n 

 the declining i>ei i.. i -j 

 approaching sea . n i 

 arrive at matuni . : , m 



ginning of Aui,'n,i I le until ran. rin.Tiiy inp 



grandest of all ai|uaiie iilani-.. \"nt.,ri,i i-r,/;.(. may he 



ing its chaste ll.iwei-^ as late as ihe nii.MIe ef I li-tMlier. 



The Amerieini Cliniutr uml Aiinrif.ni Ny, .•,■„■*. - 

 America is rich in native species of Nyniphiea, and it is 

 the only country which has native white-, pink- and yel- 

 low-flowered species. 



Of the American Nymphaeas there are about 5 that 

 are best known. The common white Water-lily is 

 Niimphipa odorata. Its variety rosea is the Cape Cod 

 Pink Water-lily. If. tuberosa (Syn. JV. reniformis) is 



NYMPH .E A 



a white-flowered species, inhabiting the western lakes. 

 The yellow kind. If. tlava, is indigenous to Florida and 

 other southern states, but is hardy in New Jersey and 

 southern New York. Another southern kind is the 

 white 11., were.l .V. iK^ora^a, var. giijantea. In addition 

 to tin- ahnve well-kiiown kinds, there are several dis- 

 tinct terms ami hybrids. 



The commencement of the cultivation of aquatics in 

 America led to the commingling of species, especially 

 of If. odorata and tuberosa. The result is that in sev- 

 eral sections are to be found many similar varieties. 

 and forms of both white and pink, some of which are 

 valuable, being di.stinct in color and having large, hand- 

 some, fragrant flowers, while a host of others are worth- 

 less, so far as distinct varieties are concerned. If. tu- 

 berosa was known as the largest and purest white 

 Water-lily, distinct in foliage, flowers and rootstock. 

 This species has proved to be the most susceptible of 

 cross-fertilization. One great hindrance to the cultiva- 

 tion of such half breeds, is that most of them produce 

 seed. The seedlings are either white or pink, and sel- 

 dom, if ever, like the parent plant. There are in differ- 

 ent sections of the country distinct forms of N. tuber- 

 Dxa, some having long, narrow petals and slightly fra- 

 ^'runt flowers, others again having broad, incurving 

 petals, forming handsome cup-shajied, highly fragrant 

 ll.jwers; still others have very full flowers, quite dou- 

 hl,-, the numerous petals crowding each other until the 

 rellexed sepals inclose the stalk, forming spherical flow- 

 ers like balls of snow. If. tuberosa, in any of its forms, 

 should not be planted in a small pond with other Nym- 

 phiBas, for it is such a rampant grower that in a short 

 time it will smother the less vigorous kinds. This spe- 

 cies deli;rhts in plenty of space, and water 2 to 3 feet 

 .lei|i. with s.,il c.f a tenacious character. However, it 

 will thrive in alimist any soil, and is well adapted for 

 naturaliziiii; ui lakes and ponds. Attempts at naturaliz- 

 ing or cultivating on a small scale have not been very 

 satisfactory ; but the species will well repay any extra 

 care to establish it in desirable localities. 



Foreiqn Species and Recent Triumphs in Hybridiza- 

 tion.— Two or three species are indigenous to continen- 

 tal Europe, notably N. alba, the well-known English 

 white Water-lily, i\'. cinulida,l\ie white Bohemian Wa- 

 ter-lily and N. alba, var. rosea, the Swedish Water-lily. 

 The last named is the only distinct or true red-flow- 

 ered, hardy species. Still another species, which has 

 played a very important part with specialists of the 

 present day, is N. tetragona (iV. pijgmwa), from China 

 and Japan. 



If. odorata was introduced into England during the 

 eighteenth century, and was probably the first for- 

 eign Nymphaea to reach that country. Other species 

 followed later, mostly tropical; but, although the Eng- 

 lish people were ardent horticulturists and lovers of 

 the beautiful in nature over a century ago, Nym- 

 phaeas never became popular, and remained a neglected 

 cl.ass of plants until a few years ago, when M. Marliac, 

 of Teiiiple-snr-Lot. France, conceived the idea of crossing 

 tin' i:n-lish white Water-lily with the well-known Cape 





uted 

 thes 



itened by new additi< 



ivo been the pro- 

 eh have made this 

 n.i desirable of all 

 .reach of all. Their 

 creasing and ever 

 ca, too, has contrib- 



list of novelties, 

 surpassed by any European 



Water-lily Culture. - 



\'v le :,iM, ireiii l\- simple conditions under which our 



nai liLinml 1,'rowing, many amateurs have 



, .1 I, I il ihes,. plants require is water and pos- 



sii.l , , nn niel In k.i p the roots in. Many attempts 

 have been made to grow these plants in pails and tubs, 

 with the inevitable result- failure. Professional gar- 

 deners, also, have made grievous errors, for, while they 

 have used every means to secure fine specimen plants 

 of flowers, vegetables and luscious fruits, they have 

 usually given meager attention to Water-lilies, and have 

 not supplied half their wants. Water-lilies, all Nym- 



