68 ALPINE FLOWERS. Part I. 



they get matted. Now a well-developed plant or group of 

 plants of the queenly Water Lily, floating its large leaves and 

 noble flowers, is a sight not surpassed by any other in 

 our gardens ; but when it increases and runs over the whole 

 or a large part of a piece of water, and thickens together and 

 weakens in consequence, and the fowl cannot make their way 

 through it, then even the queen of British water-plants loses its 

 charms. No garden water, however, should be without a few 

 fine plants or groups of the Water Lily, and if the bottom did 

 not allow of the free development of the plant, scrapings or, 

 rubbish might be accumulated in the spot where it was desired 

 to exhibit the beauties of NymphcEa, and, thus arranged, it would 

 not spread too much. But it is not difficult to prevent the plant 

 from spreading ; indeed we have known isolated plants and 

 groups of it remain of almost the same size for years, and where 

 it increases too much, reduction to the desired limits is of veryi 

 easy accomphshment, either by cutting off the leaves or getting 

 at the roots in the bottom. 



The yellow Water Lily, Nuphar lutea, though not so beautiful 

 as the preceding, is worthy of a place ; and also the little N. pu- 

 mila, a variety or sub-species found in the lakes of the North of 

 Scotland. Then there is the fine and large N. advena (a native 

 of America), which pushes its leaves boldly above the water, 

 and is very vigorous in habit. It is very plentiful in the 

 Manchester Botanic Garden, and will be found to some extent 

 in most gardens of the same kind. In collecting these things, 

 the true and the only way is to get as many as possible from 

 ordinary sources at first, and then exchange with others having 

 collections, whether they be the curators of botanic gardens or 

 private gentlemen fond of interesting plants. With a little per- 

 severance, many good things may soon be collected in this way. 

 One of the prettiest effects I have ever observed was afforded 

 by a sheet of Villarsia nymphceoides belting round the margin of 

 a lake near a woody recess, and before it, more towards the deep 

 water, a fine group of Water Lilies. The beauty of this Villarsia is 

 very insufficiently developed in garden waters. It is a charming 

 little water-plant, with its Nymphaea-like leaves and numerous 

 golden-yellow flowers, which furnish a beautiful effect on fine 

 days under a bright sun. It is not very commonly distri- 

 buted as a native plant, though, where found, generally very 

 plentiful, and not difficult to obtain in gardens where aquatics 



