34 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



Nympiiseas, except X. gigantca. The type is a fine 

 plant, with sweet-scented flowers, the petals azure- 

 Mue, passing into darker colour near the tips. Of 

 the varieties, K. cccridea is the common CajDe Water- 

 lily, and one of the best. Its flowers are deep blue 

 and fragant, the filaments of the stamens are yellow, 

 and the anthers dull blue. The leaves are shining 

 ^een above, and are blotched with purple below. 

 N. cyanea is a vai'iety less fragrant than most 

 Water-lilies. N. Dauheneyana is a very free-blooming 

 variety of garden origin ; it grows rapidly, and has the 

 peculiarity of producing young plants from the leaves 

 at the base of the blade. The flowers are pale blue 

 and sweet-scented. K. versicolor has flowers of blue, 

 white, purple, or flesh-coloured. Others belonging to 

 this species are X. caprnsis, scntifolla, X. mirra))tha, 

 X. madagascarensis, and iV". zanzlharcnsis. The latter 

 is one of the finest of all Water-lilies in cultivation ; 

 it has purple -blue flowers which remain open during 

 daylight, a longer time than those of other forms of 

 stellata. Its flowers are sweetly scented, and they 

 are said to be nine inches across. This group is 

 found from India to South Africa. 



X. thermalls. — A fine species, with close reserii- 

 blance to X. lotus, from whicli species it may be 

 distinguished by the absence of hairs beneath the 

 leaves. The flowers are large, white, and sweet- 

 scented ; they open in the afternoon, and remain 

 open all night. Native of Hungary. 



Ottelia ovalifoUa. — A new introduction at Kew, 

 received by seeds from Australia. The general ap- 

 pearance of the plant, and the leaves and flowers, 

 have resemblance with Limnocharis ni/mphceoides ; the 

 leaves are six inches long by two inches broad, with 

 petioles nine inches to a foot in length, and the 

 flowers are described as pme white, with reticulate 

 nervation, blotched with deep crimson at the base of 

 each inner segment, which measm-es one and a half 

 inches long, by two inches broad. It is a handsome 

 plant, well deser-vdng of culture. There is another 

 species with this (0. tenera), endemic in Australia. 

 The genus belongs to the Hydrocharidacece, and is 

 allied to the Frog-bit. 



Oiwirandra fenestralis (the Water-yam, Lattice, or 

 Lace Leaf). — A singularly beautiful plant, the leaves 

 of which, it may be said, are formed only of veins, 

 tissue between them being so reduced as to leave 

 holes. The leaves radiate from the crown, and float 

 just below the water ; they are oblong in form, 

 rounded at each end, and vary from nine to fifteen 

 inches in length, and from two to six inches in 

 breadth. The lattice is formed of several veins 

 parallel with the midrib, and connected by numerous 

 cross-veins Hke the steps of a ladder. The length 

 of the petiole is regulated by the depth of water. 

 The infiorescence is forked, as in its near ally, Apono- 



geton, and the flowers are small and scarcely coloured. 

 This and 0. Bernieriana were introduced from !Mada- 

 gascar by the Rev. W. Ellis, and he gives in his 

 "Three Visits to Madagascar," an interesting ac- 

 count of the first, with a good plate. Success in 

 growing this plant may be expected if, with care- 

 ful attention, two essential points are attended to. 

 These are, dense shade and pure water. It does well 

 in rather a wide range of temperature, and success 

 has been attained in peat and in loam. It is best 

 grown in a tub or pan (about two feet wide and one 

 foot deep), so that the purity of the water may be 

 easily secured. The tub may be placed on the north 

 side of a house where the sun's rays can never reach 

 it— it has done splendidly at Kew under a bench on 

 the north side of a partition in the stove — but I have 

 never seen tliis plant flower well except when. near 

 the glass, shade at the same time being proWded for. 

 Dense shade almost prevents the growth of confervae, 

 which is so injui'ious. The best and most natmal 

 soil is loam, with an addition of sand, and a little 

 leaf-mould ; pot-culture is best, and the crown of 

 the plant should be a little above the rim, and two 

 or thi'ee inches below the water. Everj- day rain- 

 water should be poured in from the rose of a pot, 

 and if the water is drawn off at any time, exposure 

 of the plant must be avoided. Seedlings come up 

 freely when the plant flowers well, and it is safer not 

 to divide the old plants, though this may be done 

 successfully. 0. B' r/tierlana appears to be lost to 

 cultivation. It difiiers from 0. fenestralis in having 

 the meshes nearly or quite filled uj) and smaller, the 

 leaves being longer, narrower, and brighter green in 

 colour. It is less ornamental. The flowers are rose- 

 coloured. Both these are figured in the Botanical 

 Magazine. The so-called 0. Hildebrandtii, which we 

 have not seen, introduced to Berlin six years ago, is 

 an Aponogeton. (See Gardeners' Clironicie, yoI. xi., 

 N.S., pp. 110, 149.) Xaiadacece. 



Papyrus antiquorim = Cypcrus papyrus. 



Fistia Stratiotes (the Water-lettuce). — A favourite 

 floating weed which extends rapidly by means of 

 runners ; it is sometimes foimd difiicult to preserve 

 diu-ing winter, but the reason is usually want of 

 sufficient light and heat. It sends do-^-n masses of 

 feathery roots, which do not require soil, but if they 

 reach it the plants grow much larger, though they 

 become less attractive. The plants form rosettes of 

 wedge-shaped, pea-green, hairy leaves. Common in 

 the tropics. Aroidece. 



Pontcderia azurea = Eichornia. 



Pontederia crassipes = Eichornia. 



Sagittaria inontevidcnsis. — A free-flowering and 

 beautiful plant of recent introduction. The leaves 

 are as large as those of the Arum Lily, and it 

 produces spikes of large white flowers with a maroon 



