CHAPTER V 

 Seed Saving and Starting 



Ordinarily nymphaea flowers open and 

 close on from three to five consecutive days, 

 though in the latter part of the season, when 

 the nights get colder, the total time may be 

 prolonged and flowers remain expanded 

 throughout; the day bloomers remaining 

 open all night and the night bloomers remain- 

 ing open during the daytime. But once the 

 petals of a nymphaea flower have finally 

 closed, the head sinks under water, there 

 to remain, if fertilised, from three to five 

 weeks, during which time the seed develops. 



When the capsule is ripe it bursts, and the 



seed, rising to the surface of the water, is 



scattered over the pond, where it floats during 



the ensuing twenty-four hours, and then sinks 



to the bottom. The floating seed may be 



gathered with a fine dipnet. But this entails 

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