1102 



NYMPH^A 



NYMPH^EA 



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 JY. alba. 



The Marline Hybrids. Two types of hardy, free- 

 flowering hybrids akin to JV. 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 fls. (3-6 in. across) well out of the 

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

 (3-6 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 culture combined with careful 

 selection, and wise hybridization have brought about 

 these magnificent results. The first group seems to in- 

 volve only jV. alba (type) and JV. alba, var. rosea. The 

 second starts with a hybrid, probably of JV. alba, var. 

 rosea and N. tetragona, giving N. Laydekeri, var. ro- 

 sea, to which is added, in varying degrees, blood of N. 

 alba, var. rosea and N. Mexicana ; but this does not by 

 any means account for the whole group. Nearly all of 

 both groups are entirely sterile. Believing that JY.alba, 

 and JV". alba, var. rosea, have given a decided tone to 

 both groups, we have described them as an appendage 

 to this species, though some have more the habit of 2r. 

 tetragona. 



Important Species. The following account, which 

 contains 93 varieties and about 30 synonyms, will seem 

 rather formidable to the beginner, but the species of 

 the first importance are only 7 in number: &. Lotus, 

 rubra, odorata, tuberosa, alba, Gnpensis and Zanzibar i- 

 ensis. The great majority of the other names represent 

 garden varieties and hybrids. It is impossible 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. CONAKD. 



WATER-LILIES or NYMPH^EAS 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 Nymphseas, and others from Europe and 

 Asia. The species begin to flower in April and continue 

 until early fall, when a number of the hardy hybrids 

 continue to flower uninterruptedly until the end of the 

 season. In the central states and southward the hardy 

 varieties decline when tropical weather sets in, and the 

 nights and days are hot. In the eastern states, and 

 especially near^the coast, where the nights are cool, the 

 season is much longer, and the color of some of the pink 

 varieties is more intense. Following the hardy Nym- 

 phaeas come the Nelumbiums in all their oriental splen- 

 dor, brightening the summer season, and bridging over 

 the declining period of the hardy Nymphasas, and the 

 approaching season of the tropical Nymphseas, which 

 arrive at maturity toward the latter end of July or be- 

 ginning of August, and continue until fall. Finally the 

 grandest of all aquatic plants, Victoria regia, may be 

 seen in America growing in a natural pond, and produc- 

 ing its chaste flowers as late as the middle of October. 



The American Climate and American Species. 

 America is rich in native species of Nymphsea, 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 

 Nymphwa odorata. Its variety rosea is the Cape Cod 

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



a white-flowered species, inhabiting the western lakes. 

 The yellow kind, JY. flava, is indigenous to Florida and 

 other southern states, but is hardy in New Jersey and 

 southern New York. Another southern kind is the 

 white-flowered JY. odorata, var. gigantea. In addition 

 to the above well-known kinds, there are several dis- 

 tinct forms and hybrids. 



The commencement of the cultivation of aquatics in 

 America led to the commingling of species, especially 

 of JY. 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 distinct in color and having large, hand- 

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

 less, so far as distinct varieties are concerned. N. 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 JY. tuber- 

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

 grant flowers, others again having broad, incurving 

 petals, forming handsome cup-shaped, highly fragrant 

 flowers; still others have very full flowers, quite dou- 

 ble, the numerous petals crowding each other until the 

 reflexed sepals inclose the stalk, forming spherical flow- 

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

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

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

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

 cies delights in plenty of space, and water 2 to 3 feet 

 deep, with soil of a tenacious character. However, it 

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

 naturalizing in 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. 



Foreign 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, N. Candida, the 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 JV. tetragona (N. pygmcea), from China 

 and Japan. 



N. 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- 

 phseas never became popular, and remained a neglected 

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

 of Temple-sur-Lot, France, conceived the idea of crossing 

 the English white Water-lily with the well-known Cape 

 Cod pink Water-lily, and the Florida yellow variety. 

 Nothing in the horticultural world has created more sur- 

 prising results in the blending of the American and 

 English species. These species have been the pro- 

 genitors of numerous varieties, which have made this 

 class of plants the most popular and desirable of all 

 aquatic decorative plants, and within reach of all. Their 

 popularity has kept constantly increasing and ever 

 brightened by new additions. America, too, has contrib- 

 uted its quota to the list of novelties, and some of 

 these are unsurpassed by any European introductions. 



The General Principles of Water-lily Culture. 

 From the apparently simple conditions under which our 

 native varieties are found growing, many amateurs have 

 concluded that all these plants require is water and pos- 

 sibly some mud to keep 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- 



