212 LETTER XLVII. 



covered all over with ovules {fig. 5.), and the same 

 number of orange-yellow stigmas, which spread away 

 fi'om the centre, like the rays of a poppy-head, to 

 which they bear no little resemblance. 



Is this plant an Exogen or an Endogen ? Its leaves 

 and stems afford no satisfactory information, and its 

 habit, numerous stamens and carpels, would lead one 

 to think that it bears the same relation to Alisma, as 

 the Poppy to a Crowfoot. But the manifest tendency 

 to the number ^276 in the flowers of this plant, is fatal 

 to the supposition ; had the tendency been to four^ 

 the evidence would have still been inconclusive, for 

 four does sometimes occur in the flowers of Endogens ; 

 but five, never. Therefore, without searching for the 

 seed, the Water- Lily might be confidently considered 

 a polypetalous Exogen ; a conclusion confirmed by 

 the seed, which is a little dicotyledonous body, lying 

 in a bag, on the outside of a quantity of farinaceous 

 albumen. 



Besides this species, the yellow Water-Lily (Nuphar 

 lutea) is extremely common in ponds. Take care, 

 however, that you do not mistake for it the Floating 

 Buck-bean (Villarsia nymphseoides), which is a mono- 

 petalous plant, belonging to an out-lying portion of 

 the Gentian Tribe. 



