432 - SAEEACENIACE^. 



stamens oo, carpels united, ovules oo, flowers large and showy. 2. 

 Cabombeffi, water-sMelds ; sepals and petals 3, carpels few, placed in 

 the torus, ovules three, flowers smaU. 3. Nelumboneae, water beans ; 

 sepals 4-5, petals and stamens oo, carpels inserted in the top of a 

 large flattened torus, ovules 1-2, seeds exalbuminous, flowers showy, 

 and leaves rising above the water. Authors enumerate 8 genera, 

 comprehending about 30 species. Examples — Nymphsea, Nuphar, 

 Victoria, Euryale, Cabomba, Hydropeltis, Nelumbium. 



Little is known in regard to the properties of the plants of this 

 order. Some of them are astringent and bitter, while others are said 

 to be sedative. They have usually showy flowers, and their petioles 

 and peduncles contain numerous air-tubes. Victoria regia is one of the 

 largest known aquatics. It -is found in the waters of South America, 

 and is said to range over 35 degrees of longitude. The flowers have 

 a fine odour. When expanded they are a foot in diameter. The 

 leaves are from four to six and a half feet in diameter. The seeds 

 and rootstocks of many plants of this order contain much starch, and 

 are used for food. It has been said that the rhizomes of Nymphoea 

 alba are better than Oak-gaUs for dyeing grey ; they have been long 

 employed advantageously for tanning leather. Nymphcea Lotus, 

 Lotus Water LUy, is supposed by some to be the Uly (ItJ'B'. sheshan or 

 shushan) of the Old Testament. The stems of Nuphar luteum, yellow 

 pond lily, are reported to be astringent. OabombeBS have peltate 

 floating leaves ; some of them have astringent properties. The flower 

 of Nelumbium speciosum is supposed to be the Lotus figured on 

 Egyptian and Indian monuments, and the fruit is said to be the 

 Pythagorean Bean (xici/jiog). It i^ the sacred bean of India. The 

 plant is said to have disappeared from the Nile, where it used to 

 abound. The petioles and peduncles contain numerous spiral vessels, 

 which have been used for wicks of candles. Dr. Wight states that 

 those wicks on great and solemn occasions are burnt in the lamps of 

 the Hindoos, placed before the 'shrines of their gods. Nelumbium 

 Leiehardti is the sacred bean of N.E. Australia. 



Order 8. — SAREACENiACEiE, the Sidesaddle-flower, Water-pitcher, 

 or Trumpet-leaf Family. (Polypet. Hypog.) Sepals 5, persistent, im- 

 bricated in aestivation, often with coherent bracts outside. Petals 5, 

 hypogynous, concave ; occasionally the corolla is absent (Heliamphora), 

 and the calyx consists of 4-6 segments. Stamens 00 ; anthers adnate, 

 dithecal, introrse, with longitudinal dehiscence. Ovary free, tri- 

 quinquelocular ; style single, sometimes dUated at the top into a 5- 

 angled or 5-lobed parasol-like expansion, the deflexed points of which 

 are stigmatiferous ; stigma persistent, sometimes truncated, at other 

 times divided ; ovules anatropal. Capsule 3-5 celled, with loculicidal 

 dehiscence. Seeds very numerous, small, attached to large placentas, 

 which project from the axis into the cavity of the cells ; albumen 



