SEPTEMBER, 1906 
although it is more open than that of Stur- 
tevantii. 
Devoniensis is a mostly sterile hybrid, and 
is a very free bloomer. The plant gives rise 
during the summer to a number of lateral 
crowns. When several of these get started, 
a single plant may cover two hundred square 
feet of pond, and may have as many as thirty- 
six flowers and buds visible at one time! 
Under these conditions the leaves are badly 
crowded, and the flowers are under size, but 
the effect is superbly rich. When the leaves 
first come up they are dark red. As they 
grow older, they become greener, finally 
reaching a bronzy-green. 
A GROUP OF VERY DARK REDS 
Among recent introductions are some reds 
much deeper in shade than Devoniensis. 
Probably NV. Geo. Huster is the best of these. 
It is a strong grower and free bloomer. Its 
flowers are not so large as those of Omarana, 
being only eight to ten inches across at the 
best. Otherwise the two kinds are very 
much alike. 
N. Frank Trelease is a variety with still 
deeper crimson flowers, of medium size. 
The color is so dark as to give very deep 
shadows between the petals. Its leaves are 
dark bronzy red, and about fifteen inches 
across. 
N. Columbiana, an old variety, is not so 
deep in color as the last two, and its flowers 
are only about six inches across. The leaves 
are bronzyred. It is only a moderate grower. 
THE PURE WHITES 
Passing to the other extreme of color—for 
color is our chief means of classifying these 
kinds—we have several pure whites. The 
chief of these goes by the name of Nymphea 
dentata. The petals of dentata are about 
three and a half timesas long as they are wide. 
In a fully open flower they stand out in a ring 
or disc exactly at right angles to the petiole. 
In the middle of the flower the light yellow 
stamens stand erect. The whole effect is 
rather curious and a little stiff. It might be 
likened to a short, stout candle standing in 
the middle of a white saucer. The leaves 
are bright green. 
As varieties of this there are three forms 
offered, or about to be offered, for sale. 
Fubilee, delicate pinkish white; one of the many 
hybrids of the lotus group. Seeds freely 
THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
They are undoubtedly improvements in size 
and profusion of flowers. Wymphea dentata, 
var. grandiflora is described as having petals 
twice as wide as the old form. WN. dentata, 
var. superba has more numerous petals than 
the orginial, and NV. dentata, var. magnifica is 
alarger flower. The old dentata only reaches 
eight or ten inches across. 
Distinguished from dentata by the shape of 
its flower is the white night lotus (Nymphea 
Lotus). Horticulturally its chief virtue is its 
great fecundity. Both lotus and dentata 
bear big balls of seed in great profusion. 
And their hybrids inherit this character in 
more or less completeness. The petal of 
lotus is broad and concave, the outside often 
tinted with pink. The flower opens only to 
a cup-shape. Nymphea thermalis is identical 
with Nymphea Lotus. 
From these we may pass to Jubilee, of a 
delicate pinkish white color, and on to 
Smithiana, with slightly more pink; Delica- 
tissima, light pink; Deaniana, deep pink; 
Kewensis, a little paler than Sturtevantil. 
One 
N. Dvoniensis, the darkest red water-lily. 
plant will cover 200 sq. ft. of ground, and have thirty 
flowers open at one time 
With the flower color goes a bronzy tint of 
the leaves. The leaves of delicatissima show 
a distinct metallic tint, which in Kewensis 
reaches a definite bronze. In shape of 
flower, delicatissima resembles dentata: it 
opens widely, and the petals are narrow. 
The other three have broad ovate petals, 
which only open to form a cup-shaped flower. 
The cup-shape is only desirable when the 
flowers are looked at from above. Ordi- 
narily the widely opening kinds are to be 
preferred, as water-lilies have generally to 
be viewed from some distance. And in 
this group there is no odor to invite a closer 
inspection. 
ALWAYS IN BLOOM 
Tender water-lilies bloom of necessity. 
Once they are started, they seem unable to 
stop. This is eminently true of the night- 
bloomers. ‘They need no care during the 
growing season. Strong plants should be 
set out when warm weather is fully estab- 
lished. Wintering is not so difficult as for 
the day-blooming kinds. The night-bloomers 
may be taken from the pond either in their 
71 
4 
Nymphaea Omarana, always in bloom from July to frost. 
The color is a glowing magenta 
tubs, or with a large ball of earth, in October. 
They are then allowed to dry off slowly. In 
a month’s time there should remain from 
each plant one or two small tubers. Some- 
times the tuber is smooth and oval; some- 
times it is of a very irregular shape. It is 
kept in dry sand as prescribed for the day- 
blooming kinds. In February or March the 
tuber is planted in sand and sunk in a warm 
tank. Soon it sends out a host of shoots. 
These mature one by one. They may be 
broken off and potted separately as soon as 
they have one or two floating leaves. Each 
tuber, therefore, of the night-blooming 
water-lilies will produce enough plants to 
stock a large pond. It is a wise precaution 
to keep one or two plants in small pots all 
summer, just to form tubers. The old 
plants sometimes rot completely when 
taken in. 
Seedlings are very easily raised. Sow 
seeds in January or February, as directed in 
the July number. Keep the young plants 
growing rapidly, and fine specimens may be 
had the same season. They come on almost 
as quickly from seeds as from tubers. But 
only the whites can be relied upon to come 
true to seed. Our reds and pinks are all 
hybrids, and will produce a great variety of 
tints from seed. Of course there is a pure 
red species, Nyinphea rubra, from which the 
hybrids have derived their color. But in 
spite of the offerings in catalogues, I am 
convinced that the true N. rubra is not in 
America. Its home is in India. Will not 
some one import a pure strain ? 
For the curiosity seeker, we must mention 
here an odd species from South America, the 
Amazon water-lily (Nymphaea Amazonum; 
known in the trade as NV. amfla). It needs 
the same treatment as those just described, 
though requiring a little more heat. The 
leaves are bright green, smooth edged, and of 
a graceful oval shape. ‘The flower is yellow- 
ish white, and four or five inches across. It 
floats on the water like the hardy kinds. The 
bud rises just above the water surface to-day, 
let us suppose. Between three and four A. M. 
to-day it opens to a narrow cup-shape, and 
closes again before six. To-morrow it be- 
gins to open about half past six in the evening, 
and by eight it has four white petals spread 
out around a firm white bud. Thus it re- 
mains until half past three in the morning, 
