348 FLOKA INDICA. [Papaveracea . 



tioles ; of which the latter have interrupted vascular bundles. These peculiarities he 

 quotes as grave reasons against associating Nelnmliimn and Nymfhaa together ; they 

 are of great interest in a physiological point of view, hat of no weight in a systematic 

 one, especially as they accompany a very different habit. 



Amongst the many minor points of affinity between Nelumhiacea and the conti- 

 guous Orders, which have not been alluded to under Ni/mphceaceis, are the milky 

 juice, which they have in common with Nijmplueacecii and Papaveracea, the resem- 

 blance of the imbricated, deciduous sepals and petals to those of Berberideee, the 

 adnate anthers, and the appendage to the filaments. In addition it may be remarked 

 that Nehimhiacecs are not allied, even distantly, to any other natural family what- 

 ever. Trccul remarks a tendency to sutural dehiscence in the carpels. 



Several species of this genus have been described, but it is doubtful whether there 

 are more than two, an American yellow-flowered one, and the pink or white Indian 

 one (the Lotus, or Sacred Bean of India), which is said by Herodotus and Theophras- 

 tus to have been a native of Egypt, where it is not now found. The seeds and rhi- 

 zomes are eatable. 



1. NELUMBIUM, Juss. 



Character ordinis. 



1. N. speciosTim (Willd. Sp. PL ii, 1258) ; floribus albis roseisve. 

 —BC. Syst. ii. 44., Prod. i. 311 ; Bot. Mag. t. 903 ; Led. PI. Ross. i. 

 83 ; jrigM et Am. Prod. i. 16; Roxb. PL Lid. 647 ; TFigU, III t. 9. 

 N. Asiatioum, Rich. Ann. Miis. xvii. 349. t. 9, semen, etc. Nelumbo iiu- 

 cifera, Gartn. Pnict. i. 73. t. 19./. 2. N. Indica, Poir.Bict. iv. 453. 

 Cyamus Nelumbo, Smiili, Exot. Bot. i. 59. t. 31-32. C. mysticus, Salisb. 

 Ann. Bot. ii. 75. Nymphsea Nelumbo, Linn. Sp. PI. 730. 



Hab. Per totam Indiam calidam divulgatum, sed Scepe (an semper?) 

 introductum : in Kashmir in lacu prope urbem, alt. 5300 ped., vulgare ! 

 — (PL tempore pluvioso.) {v. v.) 



DisTRiB. Jlare Caspicum ! et Aral; Persia ! ; ins. Malayauis et Phi- 

 lippinis ! China ! Japonia ; Australia tropica ! 



PetioU et peditnculi supra aquam exscrti, tuberculis retrorsis scaberuli v. IjEves, 

 vasis spiralibus rcpleti, succo lacteo scatentes. Folia 1—2 ped. diam., exacte peltata, 

 glabra, margine subundulata, subtus pallidiora, nervis prominulis. Flores ampli, 

 4-6 nnc. diam. Antherm connective in appendicem subclavatam producto. Tonis 

 fructus 2-4 unc. diam. Nuces magnitudine pisi vel cerasi parvi. 



XIV. PAPAVERACEA. 



Sepala 3, rarius 3, decidua. Petala 4, rarlus 6, hypogyna, festiva- 

 tione plerumque plicata. Stamina libera indefinita, rarius definita, hy- 

 pogyna ; autlieris liberis 3-loeularibus longitudinaliter dehiscentibus. 

 Ovarium liberum, e oarpellis 3 v. pluribus compositum (rarissime oar- 

 pellis discretis) ; ovula plurima (rarissime solitaria), placentis latius- 

 culis inserta, anatropa v. amphitropa. Stylus termiualis v. nuUus. 

 Stigmata radiantia, ssepe biorura et ob crura connata quasi placentis 

 opposita. Fructus siccus, capsularis, rarius baooatus, 1-locularis v. 

 septis ineompletis multiloeularis, indehiscens v. valvis brevibus dehi- 

 scens. Semina plurima, exariUata, funioulo brevi. Albumen copio- 



