1104 



NYMPILS5A 



NY31PH.EA 



likely to be found empty of water just as the plants are 

 showing their first flowers. 



Another method of construction which is better than 

 the preceding is to line the pond with well-tampered 

 clay, from 4-6 in. thick, afterward covering with 2 in. of 

 sand. Such a pond can be made water-tight, but the 

 sides will wash and repairs are needed; the water is 

 muddy and the plants are dirty and anything but a 

 thing of beauty and a joy forever. 



There are yet the advocates for tub culture. Yes, 

 plants will grow in tubs, and as soon as the plant-food 

 is exhausted, which is often at an early date, the plants 

 exist awhile and then draw out a miserable, exhausted 

 and discouraging career. 



Fountain basins are often made the receptacles for 

 Nymphseas. There they may be grown if the right con- 

 ditions are accorded them, but there must not be a 

 stream or spray of cold water running all the time, as 

 the water can readily be made cold, chilling the plants 

 and checking their growth. 



-Enemies. Nymphaeas have insect pests like other 

 cultivated plants. Aphides are sometimes troublesome. 

 The best remedy is their natural enemy, the "lady bugs" 

 or "lady birds." A colony of these voracious insects 

 makes short work of the aphides, as do also the lace- 

 winged flies. An insect of recent acquaintance with 

 Nymphseas is a leaf -miner, the larva of a small fly, 

 which cuts channels through the leaf in all directions. 

 Sometimes only a few of these are in evidence, at other 

 times the leaves are fairly alive with them. The trouble 

 is easily detected. The marks suggest Japanese writing 

 or the efforts of youthful artists. A simple and effec- 

 tive remedy is kerosene emulsion, applied with a fine 

 spray at evening after the flowers are closed. Another 

 troublesome insect has its home in Florida, and has 

 come north to spend the summer in a favored clime. 

 This is a leaf -cutter, Hydrocampa proprialis. The 

 larva cuts out pieces of the leaf and hides between two 

 pieces, which makes a kind of tent. In this tent the 

 larva moves about. At. first it moves slowly, but as it 

 nears maturity the larva becomes ravenous and then 

 eats the surface of the leaves near the center, and cuts 

 off much larger pieces of the leaf for camping-out pur- 

 poses. The best remedy for this pest is a lamp trap for 

 the mature insect. Frogs and dragon-flies will catch 

 numbers of them. 



Nymphseas are also subject to a fungous disease, a 

 leaf -spot which is easily discerned after a spell of warm, 

 humid weather. After such a spell of weather, followed 

 by bright sunshine,the leaves are scorched and crumpled, 

 and as a result, the plant is sadly crippled by being 

 denuded of its foliage; new leaves are weak and 

 smaller, and so too are the flowers, if indeed there are 

 any. This disease must be checked at once or the plants 

 will be severely set back, if not ruined. The only rem- 

 edy is Bordeaux mixture, or any of the various mixtures 

 with sulfate of copper as the basis. Use a fine spray, 

 and dilute the mixture to half the strength recommended 

 for most plants. It is best to spray twice with a weak 

 solution rather than to spray once with too strong a so- 

 lution and to damage the foliage. WM. THICKER. 



WATER-LILIES IN CALIFORNIA. The culture of Nym- 

 phaea in California presents fewer difficulties than in the 

 eastern states. The varieties which are hardy in the 

 East flourish equally well and bloom for a longer period. 

 In f restless localities, especially where the lemon tree 

 is free from injury, such tender varieties as Nymphcea 

 Devoniensis, JV. dentata and N". Zanzibariensis may be 

 left in the open pond during winter. In colder locali- 

 ties the tubers should be removed to warmer quarters 

 in November to remain until spring. If a greenhouse 

 is not available, a small pool built in such a manner 

 that it can be covered with hotbed sash will afford 

 suitable protection. Very little room is needed for these 

 when they are dormant. The manner of cultivating 

 both the hardy and tender varieties is much the same in 

 California as in the eastern states. For growing a small 

 collection a pool 8 or 10 feet across may be made by 

 excavating 2 or 3 feet, making the walls of concrete, 

 brick or stone, and covering the bottom with concrete. 

 The best quality of cement should be used for all the 

 work. An overflow pipe should be put in and so ar- 

 ranged that the pool may be emptied when occasion 



requires. Basins 20 or 30 feet in diameter, or even 

 larger than this, are desirable for growing a good col- 

 lection. In a small pool, wooden boxes 10 inches deep 

 and 18 inches to 2 feet square may be used to hold soil 

 for the plants. In a large basin some of the boxes may 

 be 3 or 4 feet square. While most aquatics will flower 

 freely in contracted quarters, they will attain greater 

 perfection and produce much larger flowers if they have 

 abundance of room both for the roots and the leaves. 



The majority of these plants are gross feeders, and it 

 is well-nigh impossible to make the soil too rich for 

 them. It is not necessary to go to a swamp or natural 

 pond to obtain what is suitable. Any soil which will 

 grow good vegetables will, if properly enriched, grow 

 Water-lilies. A compost, consisting of two-thirds good 

 soil and one-third thoroughly decayed cow or stable 

 manure, with a sprinkling of bone meal, is recom- 

 mended. A dark friable loam, which is intermediate 

 between adobe " and sandy loam, is desirable for this 

 purpose. The tenderest varieties, such as N. Devoni- 

 ensis and ^V. dentata,, will flower for a long period with- 

 out any forcing; but if started into growth in March in 

 a greenhouse or hotbed and planted in the pond in May, 

 there will be a great gain in the length of the flowering 

 season. The soil for the tender varieties should be 

 renewed every year, and that for the hardy ones every 

 two years. 



If aphides or the worm known as the leaf-roller make 

 their appearance the leaves should be sprayed with 

 kerosene emulsion very much diluted, using 1 part 

 emulsion to 15 of water. If large ponds or lakes with a 

 natural earth bottom are used for growing Water-lilies, 

 care must be taken that noxious weeds do not get a 

 foothold. Cat-tails (Typha lati folia) and "tules" or 

 bulrushes are troublesome if not destroyed when they 

 first make their appearance. In California the number 

 of tropical and subtropical trees, shrubs and plants 

 which may be planted out permanently is very great. 

 Palms, both fan-leaved and feathery, giant bamboos, 

 Musas, Strelitzias, Papyrus, giant grasses, Fatsia and 

 Caladiums are among the things which can be used to 

 ornament the surroundings of the water-garden. 



EDMUND D. STURTEVANT. 



THE GENUS NYMPH^A divides itself readily into 2 

 main divisions, which again are subdivided into 6 

 groups, according to Caspary (Ann. Mus. Lugd.-Bat. 2, 

 p. 240 ff. ; Engler-Prantl. Pflanzenf amilien 3, 2, p. 7 ff. ) : 



Section I. Syncarpous Nymphceas, i. e., carpels en- 

 tirely fused together. (Symphytopleura, Gasp.) 



Subgenus I. LOTOS. Sepals prominently veined: a 

 space between the insertion of the petals and stamens: 

 stamens broad, flat, rounded at apex: carpellary styles 

 linear: Ivs. sharply dentate : rhizome ovate, stolonifer- 

 ous. Tender night-bloomers: fls. red or white on strong 

 scapes 3-12 in. above the water, opening on 4 successive 

 nights. Two or 3 species in S. Europe and Asia and N. 

 and Central Africa. 



Subgenus II. HYDROCALLIS. Sepals not evidently 

 nerved: carpellary styles long, club-shaped: petals in 

 alternating circles of 4: stamens much as in CASTALIA, 

 all opening about the same time: rhizome ovate, stolon - 

 iferous. Tender night - bloomers : fls. creamy white. 

 About 9 species in tropical America. 



Subgenus III. XANTHANTHA. Sepals not evidently 

 nerved: plant spreading rapidly by runners (except in 

 hybrids): fls. yellow throughout; stamens as in CAS- 

 TALIA: rhizome short, erect. Day-bloomers, half-hardy. 

 Two species in S. North America. 



Subgenus IV. CASTALIA. Sepals not evidently 

 nerved: carpellary styles flat, not clavate: outer sta- 

 mens petaloid, becoming narrower inward : inmost sta- 

 mens first to ripen, their filaments short, narrower or but 

 slightly wider than the anthers: rhizome horizontal 

 (except in N. tetragona), with no bark or other protec- 

 tion against drought. Hardy day -bloomers : fls. white, 

 pink or red. Mostly natives of temperate climates. 

 About 6 species in Europe, N. Asia, and America. 



Section II. Apocarpous Nymphceas, i. e., carpels free 

 at the sides, united at their edges to the central column 

 of the fl. and at their backs to the receptacle. Outermost 

 stamens ripening first, inmost last : rhizome ovate, 

 stoloniferous. Tender day -bloomers : fls. on strong 



