NYMPILEACE^E 117 



leaves have passed to their present condition in the adult 

 plant. After the fourth, which is regularly the first floating 

 leaf in both Victoria and Euryale, the succeeding ones become 

 connate along the whole of their basal edges, attaining a 

 perfectly orbicular form by rapid stages. Those of Victoria 

 become turned up at the edges after the plant has reached a 

 considerable size, while those of Euryale always remain flat, 

 merely increasing in diameter. The largest leaves of Victoria 

 are from 6 to 7 feet across, with a circumference of 18 to 21 

 feet, perfectly orbicular, with the edges turned up to a depth 

 of from 3 to 6 inches. 



The peltate and aerial type of leaf is exhibited by Nelum- 

 bium speciosum, whose strong terete petioles vary from 3 

 to 6 feet in height, bearing at the top a nearly horizontal, 

 peltate, orbicular, umbilicate, glaucous-green lamina, 12, 18, 

 or more inches in diameter. 



Finely-cut leaves occur only in the genus Cabomba, the 

 greater number of which are submerged even in the adult 

 state of the plant. Aerial, peltate, orbicular, and entire leaves 

 seem to be developed chiefly from the apex of the stem when 

 flowering, as the blooms are aerial. The leaves of Barclaya are 

 linear, oblong, or orbicular, recalling in a measure the early 

 stages of Nympha3a. The stem of Cabomba and Brasenia is 

 slender and terete, with elongated internodes, whereas the 

 stem of the other Nymphaeacese forms a stout, fleshy rhizome 

 or is shortened to a tuber. 



Nymphsea Lotus, L., var. thermalis. 



Primary root very long, slender, with numerous root-hairs 

 on the older part, which is brown, but with very few, and at 

 first no, lateral rootlets. Strong adventitious roots are ultimately 

 given off from the second node, below the leaves, and these finally 

 supersede the primary root. 



Hypocotyl tapering downwards and indistinguishable from the 

 root proper, subterranean. 



Cotyledons very small, remaining in the testa and attaching the 

 young plant to the seed. Seed small, black, globose ; testa reticulate. 



Stem fleshy, forming a small black ovoid tuber or bulb-like 

 rhizome. 



Leaves simple, radical, alternate, exstipulate, petiolate, glabrous, 

 coriaceous or subfleshy, deep green and shining above, pale beneath, 



