III. NYMPH^ACEvE. 17 



Besides the European species, there are but two N. American ones. 



1. N. luteum, Sm. (fig. 35). Yellow Waterlily. Leaves very nearly 

 as in Nymphcca alba. Flowers yellow, raised 2 or 3 inches above the 

 water, much less expanded and faintly scented, the concave sepals 

 assuming a more globular form. Petals and stamens very numerous, 

 but scarcely more than half the length of the sepals. Fruit globular, 

 crowned by the stigmatic disk, indehiscent or bursting irregularly. 



As common, and in many places more so, than Nymphcca alba, with 

 the same geographical range ; certainly more general in Britain. Fl. 

 all summer. It varies much in size, and in the number of the stigmatic 

 rays. A very small form, with few stigmatic rays, found in some lakes 

 of Scotland, has been distinguished under the names of N. pumilum 

 and N. minimum. 



IV. PAPAVERACKflS. THE POPPY FAMILY. 

 Herbs, with milky juice, alternate or radical leaves, usually 

 much divided, arid no stipules. Flowers regular. Sepals 2, 

 rarely 3, falling off as the flower expands. Petals (in the 

 European genera 4) crumpled in the bud. Stamens numerous, 

 distinct. Ovary really 1 -celled, with several many-seeded 

 parietal placentae ; but these placentae often project so far into 

 the cavity as sometimes to meet in the centre, dividing the 

 ovary into as many imperfect cells. Fruit capsular, opening by 

 pores or valves. Seeds albuminous, with a small embryo. 



Papaveraeece belong almost exclusively to the north temperate zone, 

 in both the Old and New World, a single species, the Mexican Argemone 

 or Prickly Poppy, having spread as a weed all over the tropics. The 

 combination of 2 sepals and 4 petals easily distinguishes the British 

 genera from all other polyandrous plants. 

 Ovary and fruit globular or oblong. 



Stigmas radiating on a sessile flat disk 1. PAPAVBR. 



Stigmas supported on a short but distinct style .... 2. MECONOPSIS. 

 Ovary and fruit linear. 



Seeds crested. Flowers small, yellow 3. CHELIDONIUM. 



Seeds not crested. 



Sea-coast plant, with thickish leaves and large yellow flowers 5. GLAUCIUM. 

 Cornfield weed, with rather large violet flowers . . .4. RCEMERIA. 



The Californian Eschscholtzias, now so common in our gardens, belong 

 to this family. Platystemon, a curious annual from the same country, 

 also not unfrequently cultivated, is intermediate, as it were, between 

 Papaveracece and Ranunculacece. 



I. PAPAVER. POPPY. 



Capsule globular ovoid or slightly oblong, crowned by a circular disk, 

 upon which the stigmas radiate from the centre, internally divided 

 nearly to the centre into as many incomplete cells as there are stigmas, 

 and opening by as many pores immediately under the disk. Flowers 

 rather large, red, white, or purplish in the British species, or pale yellow 

 in some exotic ones. 



A small genus, extending over Europe, Asia, South Africa, and 



