﻿160 
  COLLECTIONS 
  TOWARDS 
  

  

  slightly 
  scabrous 
  ; 
  leaves 
  somewhat 
  rigid, 
  7-nerved, 
  four 
  or 
  five 
  inches 
  

   long 
  and 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  wide 
  : 
  scape 
  triangular, 
  often 
  growing 
  out 
  to 
  

   the 
  length 
  of 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  feet, 
  inclining 
  downwards 
  and 
  sending 
  out 
  

   radicles 
  and 
  leaves 
  at 
  the 
  verticills 
  ; 
  verticills 
  6 
  to 
  9-flowered 
  ; 
  bracts 
  

   lanceolate-acuminate; 
  calix 
  striated, 
  a 
  little 
  scabrous; 
  peduncles 
  rather 
  

   long; 
  flowers 
  hermaphrodite; 
  stamina 
  about 
  twenty; 
  fruit 
  subfalcate. 
  

   This 
  curious 
  plant 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  considerably 
  allied 
  to 
  Alisma 
  repens, 
  

   of 
  the 
  south 
  of 
  Europe. 
  

  

  NYMPHAEACEAE. 
  

  

  Nymphaea 
  ailorata. 
  

  

  Nuphar 
  advena. 
  

  

  Brasenia 
  peltata. 
  

  

  All 
  of 
  these 
  plants, 
  so 
  common 
  within 
  the 
  limits 
  of 
  the 
  tide 
  water, 
  

   are 
  in 
  this 
  inland 
  territory 
  extremely 
  rare. 
  

  

  Cyamus 
  luteus 
  (Nelumbium 
  luteum, 
  Willd.). 
  — 
  The 
  Osages 
  and 
  

   other 
  western 
  natives 
  employ 
  the 
  roots 
  of 
  this 
  plant, 
  which 
  is 
  of 
  com- 
  

   mon 
  occurrence, 
  for 
  food, 
  preparing 
  them 
  by 
  boiling. 
  In 
  form, 
  the 
  

   tubers 
  resemble 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  Batata 
  (or 
  sweet 
  potato), 
  and 
  are 
  traversed 
  

   internally 
  by 
  from 
  five 
  to 
  eight 
  longitudinal 
  cavities. 
  They 
  are 
  found 
  

   at 
  the 
  depth 
  of 
  twelve 
  to 
  eighteen 
  inches 
  beneath 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  

   earth, 
  and 
  are 
  connected 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  running 
  roots. 
  The 
  tubers 
  

   arrive 
  at 
  maturity 
  about 
  the 
  time 
  thaf 
  the 
  seeds 
  begin 
  to 
  ripen; 
  before 
  

   that 
  period 
  they 
  abound 
  with 
  a 
  milky 
  juice, 
  in 
  common 
  with 
  the 
  whole 
  

   plant, 
  and 
  indeed 
  with 
  several 
  other 
  genera 
  of 
  aquatics, 
  as 
  Alisma 
  and 
  

   Sagittaria, 
  allied 
  to 
  the 
  Nymphaeaceae. 
  When 
  fully 
  ripe, 
  after 
  a 
  consi- 
  

   derable 
  boiliug, 
  they 
  become 
  as 
  farinaceous, 
  agreeable 
  and 
  wholesome 
  

   a 
  diet 
  as 
  the 
  potato. 
  This 
  same 
  species, 
  which, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  rela- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  Pallas, 
  appears 
  also 
  to 
  be 
  indigenous 
  to 
  Persia, 
  is 
  every 
  where 
  

   made 
  use 
  of 
  by 
  the 
  natives, 
  who 
  collect 
  both 
  the 
  nuts 
  and 
  roots, 
  as 
  was 
  

   practised 
  with 
  the 
  xva^iog 
  of 
  Theophrastus* 
  by 
  the 
  Hindoos 
  and 
  Chinese 
  

   from 
  the 
  remotest 
  antiquity. 
  

  

  * 
  Cyamus 
  Indicus. 
  

  

  