84 WATER-LILIES 



indebted for the best results. Especially 

 noteworthy in the group are the descendants 

 of N. Omarana. This, obtained by Bissett 

 in 1894, is itself a hybrid of complicated 

 parentage. Its direct parents are N. dentata 

 and ]S[. Sturtevantii. The delicate pink of 

 its flower has gradually been deepened 

 through successive crossings. As an instance 

 of the gradual deepening of colour we may 

 mention a series of crosses carried out by Mr. 

 James Gurney, at Tower Grove Park, St. 

 Louis. In 1902, by crossing a N. Devon- 

 lensis with ISf . Omarana, he obtained a 

 crimson-flowered plant, very much like N. 

 Devoniensts in appearance, which he named 

 N. Frank Trelease. He then attempted to 

 introduce the blue colour of N .Zanzibariensis, 

 fertilising N. Frank Trelease with the pollen 

 of the blue one. In 1905 he obtained a 

 splendid night bloomer which, while possess- 

 ing the dark-brown foliage of N. Frank 

 Trelease, had a dark magenta flower, per- 

 ceptibly shaded with blue. Continuing the 

 experiment, this plant was again pollenated 



