CAPPARIDE^E 281 



CHARACTERS OF THE NYMPH^EACE^E 



The members of this family are characteristically 

 water-plants. The stalk of the leaf and of the flower 

 is very spongy in texture, containing long tubular 

 .air passages, which make them float in the water, 

 and also no doubt allow air to pass more freely from 

 the blades to the roots and vice- versa. The purple 

 colour of the underside of the leaf seems to have 

 some protective function, though we do not exactly 

 know what, while the smoothness of the upper 

 surface undoubtedly serves to keep them from becom- 

 ing wetted. The family is remarkable for the large 

 flowers borne singly, and for the indefinite number of 

 the petals and stamens, which grade imperceptibly into 

 each other. The carpels are also numerous and in- 

 definite in number and, except in NELUMBIUM where 

 there is only one in each carpel, the ovules are attached 

 all over the inner side of each cell, not at the inner 

 angle, as is usually the case. This arrangement, or 

 non-arrangement, of the ovules is very remarkable, 

 occurring in practically no other family (p. 227). 



CAPPARIDE.E 



Examples : 



GYNANDROPSIS SPECIOSISSIMA, a herb very com- 

 monly grown in gardens. Leaves alternate petioled, 

 palmately compound, with seven radiating leaflets, 

 and no stipules. Leaflets two to three inches long, 

 oblanceolate, obscurely acuminate, herbaceous. 



Flowers in terminal racemes, the uppermost leaves 

 simple and bract-like. Sepals four. Petals four pinkish 



