210 



water lilies. The large royal water lilies of South America belon 

 here also, but I will consider them later. The horticulturist's a: 

 has supplied many superb things by the careful perpetuation ( 

 occasional strains or by the creation of new ones through the m< 

 dium of hybridization. I shall consider first only the hardy sort: 

 leaving the more tender kinds for consideration when I treat ( 

 ; (Victoria), which r 



>ng the white-flow. 



I forn 



:, ther 



; than our own native pond lily or water lily 

 (Castalia odorata), that graceful frequenter of our lakes and ponds 

 or slowly moving streams. Its delicious fragrance and dainty 

 form place it in the foremost rank. The tuberous water lily 

 (Castalia tuberosa), also a superb white, but lacking the delicious 

 perfume of the other, is a welcome addition. The collection is 

 not complete without the little pygmy water lily (Castalia tetra- 

 gona, or C. pygmaea), the smallest of its kind, with white flowers 

 sometimes under two inches in diameter. In native hardy yellow 

 lilies, we have the Florida plant (Castalia flava) , unfortunately a 

 shy bloomer, and less desirable for that reason ; and the Mexi- 

 can lily (Castalia mexicana), a native of Mexico and western 

 Texas, more desirable as it is equally hardy and blooms freely. 

 The only pink lily we have native is a form of our common pond 

 lily, known as the pink or Cape Cod water lily (Castalia odorata 

 rosea). This differs from the white form only in its pink flowers. 

 When we approach those produced artificially we have a larger 

 selection. And here the productions of that wizard of hardy 

 water lilies, M. Latour-Marliac, a Frenchman, stand without rival. 

 He astounded the world of horticulture between 1885 and 1890 

 with his creations, and since then has been making almost annual 

 additions to his achievements. He guarded so well the secrets of 

 parentage of his hybrids that little is definitely known about them. 

 His yellows were perhaps derived from Castalia mexicana; his 

 pinks from Castalia odorata rosea; those with red at the center 

 from Castalia alba rubra, of northern Europe ; Castalia tetragona 

 was certainly one of the parents of one, his dwarf yellow, Cas- 



problem. With these factors he has produced combinations and 



