January, 190< 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



281 



If you have a large pond there will be room 

 for the less floriferous varieties. The com- 

 mon pond-lily (N. odorata), unequalled for 

 sweetness, may be planted. Words cannot 

 picture a large bed of this in full bloom. It 

 is one of those things that one must see to 

 know its beauty and charm. The northern 

 N. tuberosa is a more rampant grower, and 

 indeed it will take complete possession of the 

 pond if not opposed. Its flowers are large, 

 pure white, but scentless and few in number. 

 Ample space will also make it well worth 

 while to plant N. odorata, var. rosea, the pink 

 Cape Cod variety. The fact that it makes 

 few flowers to a shoot is lost sight of in a 

 large bed. In the shallows N. odorata, var. 

 minor will do well. It is a diminutive odorata, 

 which can get on fairly well even if the water 

 completely dries away from around it. 



TWO EXCELLENT KINDS FOR DEEP WATER 



Those hitherto mentioned will as a rule 

 give best results in water having a depth of 

 from one to two feet above the root-stocks. 

 N. odorata and N. tuberosa it is true will 

 stand three or four feet. But for depths of 

 two to five feet N. alba, var. candidissima 

 is to be recommended. Large plants of this 

 will make a wide spread of io-inch leaves, 

 and will produce splendid white flowers from 

 the first of June until frost. This is one of 

 the earliest bloomers in spring. It is exceed- 

 ingly strong and hardy. 



For depths of water up to eight or ten 

 feet the giant Southern pond-lily (N. odorata, 

 var. gigantea) is best. It is little more than a 

 large odorata. The leaves reach a foot or 

 more in diameter, the flowers four or five 

 inches. 



HANDLING CUT FLOWERS 



Water-lilies do well as cut flowers if they 

 are properly handled. The flower selected 

 for cutting must be newly opened. In nature 

 the life of each bloom is limited to three or 

 four days, but in the house it may keep a day 

 or two longer. Occasionally death seems 



to overtake the motor centres while the flower 

 is still open, and then it remains several days 

 before the petals wither. The new flower 

 may be recognized by these features: (i) The 

 stamens spread apart at the centre of the 

 flower, leaving a free passage down to the 

 stigma; (2) the anthers are plump and round 

 and have not yet begun to shed any pollen ; 

 (3) the basin-like stigma is filled with liquid 

 excreted from its surface. 



The flower stalk is scarcely able to supply 

 the petals with water; the cut flower should 

 be floated in a dish or, if placed in a vase, 

 the vase should be full to the brim with water, 

 the flower projecting as little as possible. 

 When carried from the sunny garden into the 

 house the flower is likely to close, on account 

 of the diminished light, but it will open again 

 next morning as well as if it were outside. 



More than sixty named varieties of nym- 

 phasa have been placed on the market. 

 Many of them are so much alike that only the 

 professional can distinguish them, and even 

 he must often depend on the label for cer- 

 tainty. The following table will aid in iden- 

 tifying any of the hardy kinds. 



KEY TO THE HARDY WATER-LILIES 



Flowers yellow. 



Opening n to 12 a. m. 



Spreading by runners N. Mexicana 



Without runners N. tetragona, var. helvola 



Opening from 7 to 8 a. m. 

 Petals broad, concave; flower cup-shaped, 



N. Marliacea, var. chromatella 



Petals narrow, spreading N. Odorata, var. 



sulphurea and N. sulphurea, var. grandiflora 

 Flowers pure white. 



Leaves ovate, small N. tetragona 



Leaves circular. 



Strongly sweet-scented. 



Flowers 2-5 in. across; lvs. 4-8 in N. odorata 



Flowers 1-3 in. across; lvs. 3-5 in. . N. 0.,var. minor 



Flowers 3-6 in. across; lvs. 8-12 in N. 0., var. 



Odorless or nearly so. gigantea 



Petiole marked with longitudinal brown stripes, 



N. tuberosa 

 Flowers very double. N. t., var. RichardsOnii 

 Petiole uniformly colored. 



Sepals rounded to the receptacle. 

 Always sterile. 



Flowers and leaves rising from the water, 



N. Marliacea, var. albida 



Flowers and leaves floating, 



N. alba, var. candidissima 



Fertile. 



Petals spreading in all directions, 



N. Gladstoniana 



Flower more cup-shaped N. alba 



Very double N. a., var. plenissima 



Very large N. a., var. maxima 



Sepals joining the receptacle by a sharp angle, 



N. Candida 



Flowers red or pink. 



Flowers small, pink, opening about 11 a. m. 

 Plant a single crown without offshoots, 



N. Laydekeri, var. rosea 

 Plant with many side shoots, 



N. Laydekeri, var. prolifera 

 Flowers 3-7 inches across. 

 Petals all alike in color — pink. 



Leaves deep red beneavh . .N. odorata, var. rosea; 



N. exquisita; N. rosacea 



Leaves pink or green beneath. . . N. Caroliniana; 



N. odorata, var. Luciana; N. tuberosa, 



var. rosea; N. t., var. superba 



Outer petals whitish, shading to pink or red at centre 

 of flower. 

 Plants very robust; fls. and lvs. rising above water. 



Flowers soft flesh pink N. Marliacea, var. 



carnea; N. Wm. Doogue 

 Flowers deep rose color . N. Marliacea, var. rosea 

 Less robust; fls. floating, deep red at centre. 

 Leaves blotched with brown. 

 Flowers rosy lilac . .N. Laydekeri, var. likcea 

 Flowers deep red . 



Sepals and petals in fives N. gloriosa 



Sepals and petals in fours. 

 Stamens deep orange. 



N. Marliacea, var. flammea 



Stamens cardinal. . . N. Marliacea, var. 



ignea 



Leaves dark green. 

 Fertile. 



Inner petals bright red. N. alba, var. rubra 

 Inner petals deep carmine. .. N. Froebelii 

 Sterile hybrids. 



Flowers opening in early morning. N. Wm. 



Falconer; N. James Gurney; N. 



James Brydon 



Flowers opening after 9 a. m. N. Ellisiana; 



N. sanguinea; N. Marliacea, var. 



rubro punctata; N. Laydekeri, var. 



purpurea 



Outer petals yellowish, shading to red at centre of flower 



Leaf with a notch on border of sinus. N.Robinsoni 



Sinus entire. N. Seignoreti; N. aurora; N. fulva; 

 N. Andreana; N. lucida; N. Laydekeri 

 fulgens; N. chrysantha; N. Arethusa; N. 

 Arc-en-ciel 



This is one of two red French hybrid water-lilies, rank-growing plants, often raising 

 both leaves and flowers above the water. (TV. Marliacea, var. rosea) 



The best of all the water-lilies for deep ponds is TV. alba, var. candidissima. 

 of the early bloomers, and it flowers from June to frui 



One 



