PLATE DCXVIIL 



ANNESLEA SPINOSA. 

 Armed Indian Water Lily. 



CLASS XIIL ORDER VII. 

 POL YANDRIA POL YG YNTA. Many Stamens with many Styles or Stigmas. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Calyx superus, perslstens, 4 phyllus. Pctala 30 — 40, 

 oblongo-lanceolata, persistentia. Stamina 60 — 70, 

 incurva ; antherje subovatx. Styli nulli. Stig- 

 mata : sulculi decern in apice cyathiformi germinis, 

 ad unibonem centralem decurrentes; inconspicui. 

 Germeii 10-loculare, supra cyathiforme atque ex 

 columella centrali protrusa umboiiatum, margine 

 10-dentatum. Septa duplicia. Semiiia loculis in 

 singulis 2, dissepimentis prope parietem alterne af- 

 fixa, obovata. Fructus : bacca subovata, calyce 

 persistente coronata, spinosissima, 10 — 20-sperma. 

 Semiua matura non vidi. 



Anneolea spiuosa. Roxburgh. 



Calyx above, persistent, 4 leaved. Petals 30 to 40, ob- 

 long-lanced, persistent. Stamens 60 lo 70, incurved; 

 anthers nearly ovate. Styles none. Stigmas : ten 

 inconspicuous channels in the cup-shaped cop of the 

 germen, running down towards the central knob. 

 Germen 10 celled, cup shaped above, with the cen- 

 tral column rising like a knob in the middle; the 

 margin 10-tcothed. Partitions double. Seeds two 

 in each cell, affixed to the partitions near the outer 

 angle one on each side, inversely ovate. Fruit : a 

 berry nearly ovate, crowned with the persistent 

 calyx, exceeding thorny, 10- to 20-seeded. We have 

 not seen the ripe seeds. 



REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 

 1. A flower cut open. 



Seeds of this wonderful water plant, originally a native of China, were sent preserved in sugar from Calcutta by Dr. 

 Roxburgh, in 1809, to the Most Honourable the Marquis of Blandford, in whose magnificent Aquarium at White Knights 

 it now raises its numerous heads bristling with spines, unrolls its immense leaves, and flourishes in all its grandeur. 



In vain we review the plants of its natural order for any analogy to its thorny exterior ; the Nymphs and Naiads, 

 J<lymphcBeee 3^nA Naiades, are not more conspicuous for their elegance and beauty than for their mildness; Anneslea 

 like the panther, seems to unite the extremes of ferocity and beauty. The leaves are nearly orbicular, but sometimes 

 a little extended upon one side with a corresponding notch on the side opposite, the largest being from six to eight 

 feet in circumference ; green on their upper surface, and reticulated with purplish branching veins, with a sharp 

 curved thorn at each of their principal ramifications; their under side purple, thinly scattered over with a very fine 

 brown pubescence, and reticulated with high raised, cellular, transparent, brown, branched veins, bearing innoxious 

 thorns of the same form as those of the upper surface at their principal divisions. The compartments between the 

 veins are irregular hexagons, pentagons, and rhomboids, which are again intersected by other minute veins nearly in 

 the same manner. The leaf-stalks are centrally affixed, nearly round, very porous, and bristled with soft spines 

 almost to where they rise from the root. The spines are hollow, of the most simple structure, and appear to be 

 formed by a continuance of the cellular tissue of the plant protruded. See Mirbel's Anatomic Vegetale, fig. 24. It is 

 only where they stand out of water, as upon the fruit and upper surface of the leaves, that they become indurated 

 and reallv formidable. Very different is the nature and structure of the thorns in the genus Rosa, where they are 

 proper secreting vessels or abortions of such, indurated ; and may be gradually traced in the R. damascena, muscosa, 

 t'erox, rubiginosa, and m;-.ny others, from the alntost imperceptible hair supporting viscous matter, down to the horny 

 lacerating thorn. In the Geranium echinatum, on the contiary, and some Monsonia:, the spines are mere indurated 

 persistent stipules, and in the Astragali indurated petioles; while in Prunus, Cratagus, Ononis and Genista, the ends 

 of the branches indurate into thorns, and a plant of Ononis spinosa deprived of its verdure and dried, would appear 

 to be only one branched thorn. Thorns are also formed from indurated bracts, abortions of roots, leaves, branches, 

 peduncles, flowers, petioles and supernumerary stipules as in the terrible Glcditschia, horrid with huge bunches of 

 three-forked thorns from the very trunk of tlie tree. All these and other similar parts of plants, their real nature and 

 use often overlooked, are in their aged and indurated state thrown together by I.iini^us under the denomination of 

 " Arma, for Armour,) to prevent animals from injuring the plants." Camels, however, and asstsand goats, are observed 

 to be partlcul-rly fond of thorny plants; and even quicks only escape being browsed by the cattle, by becoming 

 woody or growing out of their reach. 



The story of the Anneslea's flowering under water may have probably arisen from the very short time the bios, 

 soms remain above; as, like those of the Nympha-a, they only rise to expand, and again gradua'ly sink to ripen their 

 seeds after the globules of fertilizing pollen iiave burst from their parent cells, phoenix like, to perish in renovating their 

 race; and by adding circle to circle served to prolong the imm.oveable and immeasur;ible chain. That it certainly 

 flowers above water, we can a.^sert from our own observation ; but we were informed at White Knights (where our 

 drawing was taken last September) that it had flowered thfre below ; which might have been owing to its artificial 

 treatment, (We have seen the Nympha'a rubra flowering at the very bottom of the water in the same Aquarium.) and 

 cannot be its natural state, unless we can bring ourselves to believe that nature has endowed it with the power of 

 propagating itself in both elements. 



We hope yet to see its magnificent foliage mantling our ponds. Have we not already taught the Thea — the Caniillia 



the Ta kio — the Moutan — the Yu Ian, to resist our winters! Our water is not less temperate than our sky. The 



name Anneslea was given by Dr. Roxburgh, in honour of the Right Hon. George Annesley, Viscount of Valeutia, 

 who discovered the plant growing in the Gagra River in Oude, and also about Chittagong, when on his travels in India. 

 The fruit abundantly distinguishes the genus from the Euryale of Mr. Salisbury. 



