458 MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



seeded carpels ; style very short ; stigma 

 simple ; ovule anatropal ; nuts numerous, 

 half buried in the hollows of the torus ; albu- 

 men none. Found in quiet waters in tem- 

 perate or tropical regions, especially in India. 

 Said to have disappeared from Egypt, where 

 it was formerly common. The flower of 

 Nelumbium speciosium is supposed to have 

 been the "Lotus" of the ancient Egyptians 

 and Indians, and its fruit to have been the 

 " Egyptian Bean" of Pythagoras. 



2. Family. — Water-shields (Cabombaceae). Herba- 



ceous ; leaves floating, peltate ; flowers axil- 

 lary, solitary, yellow or purple ; sepals 3-4 ; 

 petals 3-4, alternate with the sepals ; stamens 

 definite or indefinite ; torus inconspicuous ; 

 carpels two, or more; ovules orthotropal; stig- 

 mas simple ; fruit indehiscent, tipped with 

 the indurated styles ; albumen abundant. 

 American aquatic plants ; but said to occur 

 also on the coast of New-Holland. 



3. Family. — Water-lillies (Nymphseacese). Herbs; 



trunk prostrate ; leaves fleshy, peltate or 

 cordate ; flowers showy, often sweet-scented; 

 sepals usually four, persistent, sometimes con- 

 founded with the petals ; petals numerous, 

 deciduous, often passing gradually into sta- 

 mens; stamens numerous; filaments peta- 

 loid ; torus large, fleshy ; ovary many-celled ; 

 ovules anatropal ; placentae dissepimental ; 

 stigmas radiating ; fruit many-celled, inde- 



