52 WATER LILY FAMILY. 



| 2. Sepals and petals numerous, in several rows and passing into each other. Sta 

 mens many. Pistils several, each sunken in the obconical and nearly flat-topped 

 receptacle, the imbedded nut-like fruits appearing like seeds in separate open 

 cells. 



8. NELUMBO. Upper part of the receptacle enlarged into a top-shaped body, bearing a 

 dozen or more ovaries, each tipped with a flat stigma and separately immersed in as 

 many hollows. (Lessons, p. 113, Fig. 362.) In fruit these form 1-seeded nuts, resem- 

 bling small acorns. The whole kernel of the seed is embryo, a pah- of fleshy and fari- 

 naceous cotyledons inclosing a plumule of 2 or 3 rudimentary green leaves. 

 8. Sepals 4-6. Petals and stamens numerous in many rows. Pistil 1 , compound. 



4. NYMPH^EA. Sepals 4, green outside. Petals numerous, many times 4, passing some- 



what gradually into the numerous stamens (Lessons, p. 84, Fig. 228) ; .both organs 

 grow attached to the globular many-celled ovary, the former to its sides which they 

 cover, the latter borne on its depressed summit. Around a little knob at the top of 

 the ovary the numerous stigmas radiate as in a poppy-head, ending in long and narrow 

 incurved lobes. Fruit like the ovary enlarged, still covered by the decaying persistent 

 bases of the petals ; numerous seeds cover the partitions. Eipe seeds each in an aril- 

 lus, or bag, open at the top. (Lessons, p. 126, Fig. 418.) Embryo, like that of Nelumbo 

 on a very small scale, but inclosed in a bag, and at the end of the kernel, the rest of 

 which is mealy albumen. 



5. NUPHAR. Sepals usually 6 or 5, partly green outside. Petals many small and thickish 



bodies inserted under the ovary along with the very numerous short stamens. Ovary 

 naked, truncate at the top, which is many-rayed by stigmas, fleshy in fruit ; the inter- 

 nal structure as in Nymphsea, only there is no arillus to the seeds. 



1. CABOMBA. (Name aboriginal ?) 



C. Caroliniana, Gray. Flowers 6"-8" broad on long axillary stalks, 

 with yellow spots at base of petals. Ponds, S. 111. and S. 



2. BRASENIA, T .YATER SHIELD. (Name unexplained.) One species. 



B. peltata, Pursh. In still, rather deep water ; stems rising to the 

 surface, slender ; leaves 2'-3 f long, long-petioled ; flowers small, produced 

 all summer. 



3. NELUMBO. (The Ceylonese name for N. Indica.) 



N. Ifctea, Pers. YELLOW N. or WATER CHINQUAPIN. S. Conn, (in- 

 troduced by Indians perhaps) to Lake Ont., Minn., E. Neb., and S. 

 Flower pale dull yellow, 5'-8' across ; anthers hook-tipped ; leaf and 

 flower-stalks sparsely warty roughened. The leaves are very large (1- 

 2 across) and centrally peltate, with an ascending limb, and raised high out 

 of the^ water. 



N. Indica, Pers. (or NELUMBIDM spECi6suM), FALSE LOTUS, SACRED 

 BEAN of the Orient, now commonly cult., has pink flowers and blunt 

 anthers, and the high flower and leaf-stalks studded with prickly warts. 



4. NYMPH-SIA, WATER LILY, POND LILY. (Dedicated to the 

 water nymphs.) Long prostrate rootstocks, often as thick as one's 

 arm, send up floating leaves (rounded and with a narrow cleft nearly 

 or quite to the petiole) and large handsome flowers, produced all sum- 

 mer ; these close in the afternoon ; the fruit ripens under water. 



* White-flowered ; native in N. States. 



N. odorata, Ait. WHITE W. Flower very sweet-scented, white, or 

 sometimes pinkish, rarely pink-red, variable in size, 2'-6' broad ; petals 

 obtuse ; leaves 2'-9' broad ; seeds oblong ; rootstocks with few and per- 

 sistent branches. Common in still or slow water, especially E. 



