NTMPHiEACE^. 69 



III. THE WATERLILY FAMILY. NYMPH^ACE^. 



Aquatic herbs, with a prostrate submerged rootstock, orbicu- 

 lar or peltate floating leaves, and large solitary flowers. Sepals 

 few. Petals numerous, in several rows, passing gradually into 

 the stamens, which are also very numerous, their anthers adnate. 

 Carpels numerous, but either imbedded into the receptacle, or 

 combined together so as to form a single ovary with many cells, 

 each terminating in a sessile stigma. Seeds albuminous. 



WaferWies, although not numerous in species, are to be found floating on 

 shallow, still, or gently running waters, in almost all parts of the world. 

 They form an exceedingly natural group, of which several are in cultivation 

 in our hothouses, including the gigantic Victoria, from tropical America, 

 and the elegant Nelumho, fi'om tropical Asia. 



Sepals greenish outside, about the size of the outer (white) petals . . 1 . Nymphs; A, 

 Sepals yellow, concealing the much smaller petals 3. Nuphae. 



I. NV]y[PH.ffiA. NYMPHS A. 



Sepals about 4, hke the outer petals, but greenish outside. Carpels nume- 

 rous, imbedded in the thick receptacle so as to form as many cells, radiating 

 from a common centre, whilst tiie petals and stamens are attached to the 

 outside of the receptacle, nearly as high as the top of the cells. Stigmas as 

 many as the cells, radiating on the surface of the ovary, each one extended 

 into an erect, incurved, linear appendage, whilst the centre of the flower is 

 occupied by the small conical summit of the receptacle. Fruit shghtly 

 pulley, indehiscent. 



This genus, generally spread over the globe, includes the greater number 

 of the species of the Order, with white, blue, or red flowers. 



1. \iniite Nymphsea. Nymphsea alba, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 160. White Waterlily.) 



Leaves deeply cordate, glabrous, usually about 6 or 8 inches in diameter. 

 Plowers lying on the surface of the water, white, scentless, usually 3 to 4 

 inches in diameter. 



In lakes or still waters, and slow rivers, extending all over Europe and 

 northern and central Asia, although absent from particular localities. Gene- 

 rally distributed in Britain. Fl. summer. It may be occasionally seen with 

 smaller flowers, and several varieties have been distinguished by minute but 

 uncertain characters, in the forms of the anthers and stigmatic appendages. 



II. NUPHAR. NUPHAH. . 



Sepals about 5 or 6, concave, yellow, much larger than the outer petals. 

 Carpels numerous, and radiating as in Waterlily, but united into an ovary, 

 raised on the top of the receptacle, and not imbedded in it. Stigmas as 

 many as the cells, their appendages united into a flat disk upon wliich the 

 stigmas themselves radiate. 



