BOTANICAL INDEX 
77 
In a botanical point of view, they are not a lily, nor is there anything approach- 
ing the structure of a lily, for scientifically they are their antipodes: or, if the 
Nymphcea were placed among the first families of plants in a botanical nomenclature, 
the lily would be near the last of the series, for there is nothing in common between 
the two plants. The so-called Water Lilies are nearly all arranged under the head of 
Nymphcea, and comprise nine genera, according to Sir Joseph Paxton, and include the 
Nelumbium, Nymphcea, Nuphur, Victoria, Castalian, Colombo, Nectris, Eurgall, 
and Brasseniu, hut as space will not admit of a review of all the genera in this family, 
we will for this number take the Nelumbium for consideration, and in the next num- 
ber we hope to treat of the typical form of the family, the Nymphcea. 
The name Nelumbium is the native Cingalese name, Latinized by Jussien and 
adapted to all languages, but like the most of the Oriental names, its meaning is un- 
known. There are but two species of the Nelumbium known to botanists — -V. speciosum, 
Linmeus, from the old world, with rose-colored flowers, varying, however, from pure 
white to a light blue, and .V. lutea, the American species, with light, Canary -yellow 
flowers, which also vary in color from white to pink. X. speciosum, however, is 
known to botanists as well as plant dealers, by several varieties, viz: X. speciosum 
alba, with white flowers, from India; X. speciosum Caspicum, with pink flowers, from 
the Caspian sea ; X. speciosum Jamaicense, with pale blue flowers, from Jamaica; X. 
speciosum tamera, with pink flowers, from Malabar. The old world species have a 
wide geographical range, being found in Australia, the Phillipine Islands, through- 
out the East Indies, in Asia as far north as the Caspian Sea, and doubtfully in the 
West India Island of Jamaica. There can be no reasonable doubt of its former 
habitat of the Nile, and probably other portions of Northern Africa. However, like 
many other plants that are known to have flourished there in ancient times, it is now 
no longer found there. The “Treasury of Botany” tells us that “Herodotus de- 
scribes the plant with tolerable accuracy, comparing the receptacle of the flower to 
a wasp’s nest. Strabo and Theophrastus likewise mention the plant as a native of 
Egypt.” Antiquarians appear to be very uncertain in regard to the identity of the 
Egyptian Lotus. Some affirm it to be the Nelumbium, while others attempt to prove 
the Lotus to be the nut of Celtis australis, both of which are equally valuable as food. 
The nuts, as well as the root or tubers, of Nelumbium, are still a very important arti- 
cle of food in India, China, Australasia and Polynesia. In a manuscript of Dioscorides, 
supposed to be of the 12th century, formerly in the Rinuccini Library, at Florence, 
there is a figure of the Nelumbium under the name of Kuamos, (bean), while under the 
name Lotus a tolerably good representation of Celtis australis is given. 
All ignorant and superstitious people require a symbol or parable as a prototype 
to illustrate the ideas they wish to convey, especially the object of their veneration, 
which is very aptly illustrated by the peculiar leaf of the Lotus, as it is covered by a 
tine, glaucous, microscopic bloom or down, which, by retaining a film of air over the 
upper surface, prevents its being wetted when water is poured on it, the water rolling 
off in drpps with the appearance of molten silver. The devout Hindoo has a proverb 
founded on this peculiarity of the leaves, to the effect that “ the good and virtuous 
man is not enslaved by passion nor polluted by vice; for though he maybe immersed 
in the waters of temptation, yet like a lotus leaf lie will rise uninjured by them.” (It 
must be remembered that the Hindoo are, as a sect, the most devout people in the 
world.) There certainly was a religious or superstitious reverence paid this plant, 
as is proved by the sculptures on the ruined Egyptian temples, while many other 
circumstances clearly prove the veneration paid to this plant by the votaries of Isis ; 
and this superstitious reverence is still continued throughout Australasia and 
Polynesia, at the present day, where the plant is deemed sacred and is employed in 
religious invocations and ceremonies. 
But let us now examine the peculiar character of our venerable plant, and as we 
have only our native species before us, we will talk more especially of Xelumoiui,. 
luteurn ; however, a description of one species will in a general way answer for both 
In the illustration on page 76, we wish to convey an idea of the plant as it would be 
seen in its natural condition, if we had the power to remove a vertical section of the 
water immediately in front of a growing plant, and still allow the plant and sur- 
rounding water to remain in situ. The tubers and roots of the plant are here seen 
lying horizontally in the muddy bed of the river, with only a thin covering of mud 
over them, and often a number of tubers connected together by a long, tough, 
woody, but porous vine, (root-stock.) From the joint formed by the union of the 
tubers and root-stock spring the leaf and flower-stems, while from the free end of 
the tuber also often grow additional leaves. The tuber contains a large per centage 
of mucilaginous and farinaceous matter, and is said to be one of the best known 
native vegetables for food. Fig. 50 represents a mature tuber cut into halves, show- 
ing the peculiar cavities that traverse the entire tuber. It also contains the fine silky 
fiber noticed in the stems, but having less strength and are perhaps finer. Upoii 
cutting the tuber open, they exude a large quantity of thick, milky, mucilaginous 
