NYMPH2EACEJZ. 



91 



ganization as that of Sarracena, but differs in some remarkable points. 

 The gynceceum consists of an obconical ovary of five cells superposed 

 to the petals and surmounted by a style, with five little branches, 

 each rolled up into a tube. 1 The seeds are club-shaped, covered 

 with prickles. 2 The incurved urn that forms the greater part of 

 each leaf is surmounted by a double membranous tongue. 



Heliamphorc? has five (more rarely four) petaloid imbricated 

 sepals, no corolla, an indefinite number of stamens with introrse 

 anthers, 4 and an ovary of three multiovulate cells. 5 The style forms 

 a channelled hollow column, expanding slightly at its apex into a 

 little trilobate ring. The fruit is a loculicidal capsule ; the outer 

 seed-coat is loosely reticulated, dilated into a membranous wing. 

 //. nutans Benth., the only known species, is a perennial herb from 

 Mount Roraima, in Venezuela. The leaves are urn-shaped, and the 

 flowers, with drooping pedicels, are collected into small racemes, 

 naked at the base. 



Salisbury, in 1S05, 6 made a distinct order of the Nymphdeacece. 

 Before this the water-lilies had been classed by B. de Jussieu 7 in 

 Papaveracece, by Adanson 8 in his family " Ay-istoloches," by A. L. de 

 Jussieu 9 in his order Morreniece between Ilydrocharis and Trapa. 

 Then botanists were generally agreed in referring these plants, whose 

 embryo was very little known, to the Monocotyledons ; w but there is 

 now no doubt as to their possessing two albumens, 11 whereof the 

 smaller represents the contents of the embryo-sac, and includes an 

 embryo with two quite distinct cotyledons. De Candolle, in 1824, 12 

 classed NymplicEacece just before Papaveracea, and after Berbcridacea* 

 and Podophyllacece, wherein he placed Cabombece under the name of 

 Hydropeltidece. He divided Nymphceacece into two tribes, Nelumbonece 

 and NympluBece. Endlicher 13 made his class Nelumbia of three 



1 Each forms a strap, which is stigmatiferous 

 at its softened apex, and has its edges rolled 

 hackwards, and meeting above to simulate a tube. 



2 They taper into a tube on the side next the 

 radicle (Dcne. & Lem„ Traite Gen. de Hot., 407). 



3 Benth., in Trans. Linn, Soc, xviii. 432, t. 

 29.— Endl., Gen., n. 5023 1 .— B. H., Gen., 48, 

 n , 3. — Walp., i. 109. 



4 Later on they become versatile ; the cells ter- 

 minate below by a very slightly curvedmossy point. 



5 The ovules are pluriseriate when adult. 



6 In Kosn. Ann. of Bot., ii. 69. 



7 In A. L. de Jussieu Gen., lxvii. (1759). 



8 Fam. des PI., ii. 71 (1763). 



9 Gen. (1789), 68, Ord. IV. 



10 For the history of this question and the 

 affinities formerly ascribed to the Nymphseads 

 see the memoir of A. P. de Candolle in vol. i. 

 of the Trans, de la Soc. de Phys. et d'Hist. 

 Nat. de Geneve. 



11 Mieb., in Ann. Mus., xvi. t. 29. 



12 Prodr., i. 113, Ord. VIII. 



13 Genera (1836), 898, Ord. CLXXXV.- 

 CLXXXVII. 



