POLYANDRIA, POLYGYNl A. 
27 
Cyamus flavicomus, Salisb. 
C. neliimbo, Smith, Exot. Bot. 
Nelumbium speciosiim, Willd. and Ait. 
N. luteum, Willd. Sp. PI. 2. p. 1259. 
]N. luteum, Mich. 
Nymplisea Nelumbo, /3 L. Sp. PI. 
Nelumbo Indica, Pers. 
Sacred-bean of India, Egyptian-bean. 
There is not surely in North America any plant comparable 
to this for grandeur, simplicity and beauty. Truly may it be 
styled as I have elsewhere called it, the Queen of American 
Floxvers. 1 regret to say that it is not as abundant in our vici- 
nity as it was five years ago. This may be an accidental or 
temporary decrease, owing to a disturbance of the site where 
it grows. The leaves are perfectly round and centrally peltate. 
They are from a foot to eighteen inches in diameter, of a rich 
velvety -green above, and very pale underneath. They are sup- 
ported by petioles from two, to three and a half feet in length. 
The flowers are pale-yellow, globose, and about three or four 
inches in diameter, supported by petioles or a scape, a yard in 
length, frequently muricate towards the upper part. From 
this circumstance, together with an accurate examination of 
a fine Chinese painting of the India species, which differed in 
nothing from our plant, except in the rose-coloured flower, 
I considered the two species as identical, and accordingly added 
the synonyms which stand in my Prodromus. Another years’ 
examination of our plant has not given me reason to alter my 
opinion on this subject, nor can I conceive that a mere differ- 
ence in colour of the flowers should be considered sufficient 
to establish the difference. Walter says his Nelumbo had 
white flowers: so that even in our own country, a discrepancy 
occurs here. I am glad to find that Mr. Nuttall has also noticed 
in his work, that the “ peduncles are partly muricate.” 
