32 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GAEDENIXG. 



N. flava. — This is a new introduction, and the 

 only kind which can truly be termed yellow. It is 

 nearly, if not quite, hardy, but no good result has 

 been obtained out of doors. In habit, it is unlike 

 that of the other species ; it seems not to be tube- 

 rous, and it forms long creeping stems, so that it 

 will not submit to the drying-off system. It requires 

 to be kept growing in a cool house during winter, 

 and in spring it may 

 be potted with the 

 other kinds. Out of 

 4oors it should be 

 planted in deep water 

 to be safe from frost. 

 A plate will be found 

 in The Garden, vol. 

 xxiii., p. 334. Native 

 of North America. 



iV. gigantca. — Of the 

 blue - flowered Nym- 

 phtBas this is the finest, 

 though, under cultiva- 

 tion in this country, 

 its flowers have not 

 reached the large di- 

 mensions described of 

 its native growth. It 

 is described as very 

 variable, with flowers 

 white, rose, and purple, 

 as well as blue, varying 

 in diameter from six 

 inches to one foot. It 

 requires a tropical tem- 

 perature, and should 

 be grown in rich soil. 

 The crowns, it is said, 

 should be two feet deej) 

 in the water. The 

 flowers remain open 

 all day, and it is the 

 •only blue - flowered 

 kind of which that can 

 be said ; the petals 



are of porcelain-blue, and opening wide, display 

 the bright yellow stamens. The leaves are of 

 large size, and the edge turns up, forming a rim 

 like that of the Victoria. A picture by Miss North 

 is in the North Gallery at Kew; it was figured in 

 the Botanical Magazine some years ago, and a plate 

 will be found in The Garden, vol. xxiii., p. 334. 

 Native of Australia, where it is the only species. 



N. Lotus (the Sacred Egyptian Water Lily). — This 

 is a tropical species of many forms, in colour vary- 

 ing from pure white to deep scailet, and in foliage 

 also varying considerably. N. Levoniensis, a hybrid, 



Nymph^a Lotus. 



with scarlet, sweet-scented flowers, is one of the 

 finest of all Water-lilies, and was raised at Chats- 

 worth from the variety rubra, and the type. 

 JSf. Sturteva)iti is a new American variety raised 

 from the last. N. Ortglesiuna, a fine free-blooming 

 kind, was raised from the varieties rubra and den- 

 tata. It resembles X. Levoriioisis, but the petals 

 are striped with deeper scarlet. K. Boucheana was 

 raised from the parents 

 which produced A'. 

 DevoHieuisiH, but it is 

 lighter in colour. The 

 variety rubra was in- 

 troduced from the East 

 Indies, and the fine 

 white-flowered varietj-, 

 de)itata, from Sierra 

 Leone. These include, 

 perhaps, aU the best 

 varieties, but there are 

 others. They mostly 

 requii'e tropical treat- 

 ment. X. Ortgiesiana, 

 I found flow^ering out 

 of doors, a few^ years 

 ago, at Bonn. The 

 species is found in the 

 South of Europe, the 

 Nile regions, Indian 

 Archipelago, and Ma- 

 dagascar. 



X. pygmcea. — A very 

 small species, but ex- 

 tremely pretty, with 

 small, dark leaves, and 

 numerous white 

 flowers. It is a na- 

 tive of China and Si- 

 beria, and was found 

 by Sir J oseph Hooker, 

 in the Khasia Hills. 

 It requires only pro- 

 tection from frost, but 

 it might be found quite 

 hardy from its colder localities. Another kind, X. 

 nitida minor, is sometimes believed to be cultivated 

 for it. X. nitida is a variety of the North American 

 X. odorata. 



X. Rudgeana. — The flowers are yellowish-wliite, 

 and it is the only species besides X. jlava with an 

 approach to yellow colour. They open late in the 

 evening, and are sweetly scented. It is generall)^ 

 grown as X. blanda. X. amazonica is a form of this. 

 Native of Jamaica, Guiana, and Brazil. 



X. stellaia. — There are several distinct varieties of 

 this species, which may be said to include all blue 



