ROYAL WATEll-LILY. 25 



though suspected by some, when first brought to 

 this country, to be an annual, the plant has satisfac- 

 torily proved itself to be of a perennial character; 

 the thick brown rhizome, buried in the mud, pre- 

 serves vitality for a long period, tlie process of 

 decay going slowly on at its base, while its upper 

 and younger part continues development, and year 

 after year produces an abundant supply of fresh 

 foliage and flowers a constant growth of adventi- 

 tious roots going on at the same time to supply the 

 place of the old ones lost from time to time by the 

 gradual decay of the tuber. The plant generally 

 grows where there is a depth of about six feet of 

 water at the flowering season the water rising con- 

 siderably higher in the wet season during inunda- 

 tions, and thus adding greatly to the luxuriance of 

 the plant and the size of its leaves. The leaves 

 always float on the surface of the water, being pro- 

 duced from long prickly petioles or stalks, springing 

 from the root, and which are inserted in the centre of 

 the leaf, the latter being thus peltate or shield-like. 

 It will be observed, from the drawing of the plant, 

 that the leaves are of a roundish oval shape, their 

 margins being turned up all round, exhibiting the 

 purplish hue and prickly ribs, with which their under 

 sides are so abundantly furnished. These turned- 

 up margins give to the leaves a very peculiar ap- 

 pearance, and botanists describing them have been 

 led to liken them to various objects; but perhaps 



