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CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



posed of three leaflets. The flowers are produced in 

 racemes, and vary from white to pink. They are 

 elegantly leaved in a manner which affords much 

 beauty. Pieces of stem, with roots, grow easily. It 

 is widely spread, growing- in North-west India and 

 America. Figured in the " English Flower Garden," 

 and several botanical works. Flowers from May to 

 •July. Gentianem. 



Nuphar. — The species of this genus are known as 

 ^' Yellow Water-lilies," but it must be observed that 

 there is a true Yellow Water-lily, Kijinphcea Jlava. 

 They are fine plants, and N. advena and N. lutea are 

 sj^lendid for the adornment of lakes and ponds, 

 where, in company with the common Water-lily, they 

 are almost indispensable. With the exception of 

 N. Kalmianum, all are easily grown, and in planting 

 Tequire only that the rhizomes be firmly fixed to the 

 bottom. Flowers are produced in summer. JSfym- 

 phcBacece. 



ISf. advena. — This North American species is the 

 finest of all. It most nearlj^ resembles the X. lutea 

 of our own waters, but the leaves are larger and with 

 more spreading basal lobes. The flowers also are 

 larger, though paler, but they have the advantage of 

 orange-red stamens. It is known easily from other 

 ]dnds, except polysejjalum, by having six instead of 

 five sepals. The leaves are massive, and of dark 

 green hue, and as they grow out of the water a fine 

 -clump possesses a noble appearance. 



A. lateum. — The more common and the handsomer 

 of our two British species. The leaves are rotund, 

 and grow out of the water when the plants are 

 crowded ; the flowers are two and a half inches 

 across, with the perfume of brandy, hence probably 

 the popular name, " Brandy-bottle ;" the stamens 

 are of the same colour as the petals, and the stigma 

 has from ten to twenty rays, which do not extend to 

 the margin. The variety minor, which grows in 

 Ohartner's Lough, Northumberland, has flowers one 

 and a half inches across, with a wavy-margined 

 stigma. Seedlings spring up freely, but are easily 

 drawn out with a rake where they are not required. 

 Europe, Asia, and North America. 



N. piimilum. — This is a much smaller plant than 

 the last. The leaves are oblong, and deeply heart- 

 shuped with distant lobes ; the flowers small, with 

 two-edged petiole ; the stigma has eight to ten rays, 

 which extend to the margin and form sharp teeth. 

 Europe (Britain) and North Asia. 



N. Kalmianum. — Like a miniature X. lutea. It is 

 the rarest of all, probably because of its liability to 

 perish. The flowers are little more than an inch 

 across ; the petals do not exceed ten ; the rays of 

 the stigma are white, generally eight, but sometimes 

 twelve. Mr. H. T. Ellacombc, of Clyst St. George, 

 is the most successful cultivator of this kind. He 



grows it in a tub, as he does the rest of his collection. 

 Native of North America. 



Nuphar polyse2Jalum has been introduced, and it 

 is probably a desirable kind. The flowers are very 

 large, and the sepals numerous. It occurs in the fas 

 West of the North United States. X. sagitlifolimn, 

 from North Carolina southwards, must have a dis- 

 tinct apj)earance, as it has long and narrow leaves. 

 According to Professor A. Gray, both these, perhaps, 

 run into A^. advena. A kind that might be obtained 

 without difiiculty is X. sericeum, a native of Hungary, 

 which has the flower-stalk clothed with silvery silky 

 hair. 



Xymphcea alba. — One of the most lovely of our 

 indigenous plants, never failing to be attractive 

 whether wild or cultivated, and of our native water- 

 plants it is the undisputed queen. There is more 

 than one form wild in Britain, but the typical one is 

 probably unsurpassed. Of the exotic varieties can- 

 didissima and rubra are the principal. The first is 

 truly magnificent ; it has flowers which even exceed 

 a foot in diameter, and they are produced very 

 freely. It is probably a native of Bohemia. At 

 Chatsworth it is said to be well grown under glass, 

 and it has been remarked that a finer development is 

 attained in- doors ; but it is perfectly hardy, and it is 

 difficult to believe that it can be finer than we have 

 seen it in the open air. The variety rubra has 

 become famous during the last few years, and its 

 distinctive beauty rests in the rosy colour. It was 

 discovered in 1856 in the north-west of Oster- 

 Gothland, Sweden, where Lake Fagertam is the 

 only known locality. ]M. Froebel finds the plant to 

 come true from seed, but others have not been so 

 fortunate. This is a magnificent plant, and we can 

 scarcely say too much in its favour, and probably it 

 may be much improved by careful selection. Other 

 names that have been given are X. alba, var. rosea ; 

 X. sphcerocarpa, var. rubra; and X. Caspary. A 

 beautiful figure, truthfully coloured, is given in the 

 Botanical Magazine for 1884, tab. 6736. Other 

 A-arieties of X. alba are intermedia and minor, both 

 natives of Germany. Ranked as distinct species and 

 figured in the Flora Germaniea are X. biradiata and 

 X. Candida. Both probably might be placed as 

 varieties of X. alba. The first, a native of Austria, is 

 in cultivation quite rare ; the latter is a native of 

 Bohemia, and should be found in some collections, 

 though nothing has been heard of it for some years. 

 A", alba flowers from June to August, the variety 

 candidissima still later. 



X. odorata. — To the qualities of X. alba is added 

 in this species a delicious perfume, though the 

 demerit that it does not flower so freely must be 

 mentioned. The flowers open early in the morning, 

 and close in the afternoon. The foliage is quite as 



