CULTURE OF WATER LILIES, ETC. 145 



New Japanese Nelumbiums. Their habit and general 

 appearance are the same as N. speciosum, but some have 

 larger and bolder flowers, of a more globular form, 

 and distinct fragrance. They are also hardy, like the 

 others. Nelumbium nuciferum album striatum. The 

 flowers are white, with the edge of each petal irregularly 

 marked and splashed with crimson. A magnificent and 

 distinct variety. Nelumbium nuciferum roseum. This 

 grand new Japanese variety has flowers of a uniform 

 deep rosy pink color, something like Nymphcea Devo- 

 niensis or the Cape Cod Lily, and much darker than 

 N. ttpeciosum. One of the finest yet introduced. Ne- 

 lumbium nuciferum album (White Lotus). I have 

 been lavish in praise of the pink Lotus (N. speciosum}, 

 and have nothing to retract. Here we have an exceed- 

 ingly beautiful white variety without a tinge of pink 

 color. The stamens are yellow, and the receptacle 

 shaded green and yellow, forming a novel combination of 

 colors. It is at present the rarest variety now in cultiva- 

 tion in this country, and is still costly. 



Japanese Nelumbium Seeds. Nelumbium nuciferum 

 (mixed varieties). Those who wish to have Lotus flow- 

 ers the first season will, of course, plant tubers ; but for 

 those who are willing to wait a year or two for bloom, 

 seeds can be used. Each nut should have a hole the size 

 of a pin drilled in its shell with the point of a penknife, 

 or by using a file, to allow the moisture to penetrate the 

 kernel, or otherwise it will not germinate. The nuts 

 should then be planted in warm water in a greenhouse, 

 or, if it is desired to plant them in a pond, it should not 

 be done until warm weather, and then in water about one 

 foot deep. They may be either dropped in the water and 

 allowed to sink, or pressed into the soil two or three 

 inches. The seeds cost about one dollar per dozen. 



Limnanthemum Nympliceoides (Villarsia). This Euro- 

 pean relative of our American Floating Heart is perfectly 



