86 GREAT WHITE WATER-LILY. 



ways left a sufficient number of unconverted sta- 

 mens for the purposes of fertilisation, whereas, by 

 high cultivation, the florist sometimes totally ex- 

 tinguishes these essential organs. 



Alluding to the gorgeous double blossoms of the 

 White Water-Lily, Withering remarks: " Botanists 

 often affect to despise the labours of the florist, who 

 wishes, by multiplying the petals, to produce double 

 flowers, stigmatising them by the name of monsters. 

 They may be monsters, but they are often beautiful 

 monsters. Who does not admire the flower of the 

 double-blossomed Cherry? And when, as in the 

 White Water-Lily, the petals are naturally multi- 

 plied to a great degree, the botanist who turns away 

 with disdain from this splendid object of creation 

 must be fastidious indeed. The petals gradually 

 lessen as they approach the centre of the flower, 

 where the outer filaments expanding in breadth gra- 

 dually assume the form of petals, as is generally the 

 case in the double flowers of our gardens." The 

 appearance of the splendid blossom has suggested 

 the name, which it sometimes receives, of White 

 Rose of the Waters. It has often occurred to us 

 that it resembles more closely, especially in the 

 purity of its flowers, some white varieties of the Ca- 

 mellia than any other flower: but it often measures 

 four or five inches in width. Some botanical authors 

 have attributed to the flowers of this Lily a slight 

 degree of fragrance, while others, with perhaps more 



