74 THE BOOK OF THE WILD GARDEN 



loam, and then lowered into the water when they will 

 soon root into the mud. Swans, ducks and moorhens 

 are destructive to Water Lilies, and water-rats often 

 attack [them, biting off and carrying away the flower- 

 buds. Caddis-worms also sometimes play havoc with 

 them, eating the young leaves as they emerge from the 

 mud, and thus killing weakly plants. N. alba, the 

 common, native, white Water Lily is well known. N. 

 odorata, a North American species, has also white flowers 

 and is sweetly-scented. N. tuberosa, also from North 

 America, bears white blossoms, and the little N. pygmaa, 

 from China, has flowers of the same colour. All the 

 foregoing species are beautiful, but more lovely are 

 Marliac's Hybrid Water Lilies. The best of these are 

 N. Marliacea albida, the finest white in existence, N. 

 Marliacea chromatella, pale yellow, with deep maroon- 

 red leaves — where there is only space for two distinct 

 Water Lilies these should be selected — N. M. gloriosa, 

 deep carmine-red, a grand flower and very large. N. M. 

 rosea, deep pink, and N. M. carnea, pale flesh-pink. 

 Hybrids of the odorata section include amongst the best, 

 N. odorata, exquisite rose-pink, N. o. suavissima, rather 

 darker in colour, and N. o. sulphur ea grandifior a, a vigorous 

 plant with pale yellow flowers and mottled foliage. The 

 hybrids known as the Laydekeri race are smaller in size, 

 but bright in colour, and are suitable for little ponds. 

 They should be planted in shallow water. N. Laydekeri 

 fulgens is glowing carmine in colour, and N. L. rosea is 

 deep rose-pink. The ten already named are a good 

 selection, but if more are required the following bear 

 handsome flowers, namely , lucida, Ellisiana, ignea, sanguinea, 

 Robinsoni, Seignoureti, Andreana, odorata rosacea, o. Luciana, 

 o. caroliniana, Laydekeri lilacina, L. rosea prolifera and L. 

 purpurata. 



Acorus calamus. — Sweet Flag. A plant with straight, 

 sword-shaped leaves three feet in length, growing in 



