94 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM* 



Castalia ti a va Leitner Greene, Bull. Torr. Club 15: 86. L888 

 Nymphat ■ Leitner in Audubon, Birds Am. 4: 411. IS 



This species, I believe, has not been reported from Mexico, but itsooeurrei 



Brownsville, Texas, would indicate that it might be expected on the Mexican Bide of 



the l«'\\ er Rio < rrande. 



Castalia mexicana Zucc.) Coulter, Contr. Nat. Serb. 2: 12. L891, as to synonym, 

 not a- to specimens. 



Nymphaea mexicana Zucc. A.bh. A kail. Muench. 1: 265. L832. 



This species is very common in tin- hikes and aTongthe canal- in the Valley of 

 Mexico. It has also been reported from Patzcuaroand Jalisco, bul I have seen no 

 Bpecimene from these two Localities. This Mexican Bpecies lias often been confused 

 with the C. flava of Florida, but it grows at much higher altitudes, has much larger 

 flowers and very different petals, and tin- Leaves are perhaps thicker. 



( 'attaint mt .' ica hi t has been collected only a feu time- and I believe has never been 

 in cultivation. 

 Sjt, riiin ns examiru d: 



Valley of Mexico: Bourgeau, L865-66 (no. I); Rose and Sough, May 26, 1899 

 (no. 4:;l'7 . 



Type locality: In Lacu prope urbem Mexico. 



Zuccarini described the flowers as white and this has raised the question as to the 

 identity of our yellow-flowered Mexican species. Doctor Conard has examined the 



Leaver of three types at Munich and pronounces them identical with the above. 



Either the flowers had faded out or else two Bpecies were confused in the original 

 description. A white-flowered Bpecies grows in the Valley of Mexico along with 

 this yellow -flowered one. 



Castalia elegans (Hook*) Greene, Bull. Torr. Club 15: 85. L888 

 Nymphaea elegans Hook. Bot Mag. 77: />/. 4604. L851. 



This species -eeins to be confined to the lowlands of Mexico. On the west coast of 



Mexico it has been collected at Topolobampo (Palmer); Ma/.atlan Brandegee); and 

 near Rosario Rose), the latter being the southernmost station for the species. It 

 ha- also been reported along the Rio < rrande basin from El Paso to Brownsville. The 

 reference of this species to Guatemala by Conard must be a mistake. According to 

 Dr. E. Palmer the small black tubers are used by the Mexicans on the west coast as a 

 substitute for potatoes. 



Castalia gracilis (Zucc.) Rose. 



Nymphaea gracilis Zucc. Abh. Akad. Muench. 1:362. 1832. 



Mr. Conard's reference of A', gracilis t<> A', ampla does not seem borne out by a 

 careful study of the original description of A', gracilis or by an examination of 

 material which seems to belong to that species. 



This Bpecies is common in the Valley of Mexico and throughout the Valley of 



Lema. 



Castalia ampla Sal isl>. Parad. 1: under///. /;. 1805. 



Castalia pringlei Rose, sp. QOV. 



Rhizomes apparently horizontal, large, •">>> to 60 cm. Long; Leaves orbicular, 25 to 

 30 cm. in diameter, entire, retuse at apex, not at all peltate, the sinus generally 

 closed or the lobes overlapping except the short acute tip-, glabrous throughout, 

 somewhat purplish beneath, the veins not prominent; flowers very large, L2 t.. 15 

 cm. in diameter, white; sepals 5, thin, oblong, obtuse, green excepl the more or Less 

 whitish margins; petals pure white, oblong, obtuse; stamens yellow, the outer one* 



with broad petaloid filaments, the inner with shorter and narrower filaments; con- 

 nective scarcely Longer than the anther. 



This Bpecies is perhaps near C. odoraia, but differs in having the flowers and Leavea 

 Larger, the under Burface of the Leaves only slightly purplish, the sepals thinner, etc. 



