OF ORNAMENTAL PERENNIALS. 57 
1.— NYMPHiEA ALBA, Lin. THE WHITE WATER LILY. 
SvNONYME. — Castalia speciosa, Sal, I Specific Character. — Leaves cordate, quite entire; stigmas 16- 
Engravings. — Eng. Bot. t. 160 ; 2nd edit. t. 765, | rayed ; rays ascending. (G. Don.) 
Description, &c. — This splendid plant is so common, and so generally admired, as to need very little 
description ; but it may be interesting to say a few words on its cultivation. It succeeds best in still water on 
a loamy soil ; and only requires planting by plunging a stake into the mud at the bottom of the pond, and moving 
it backwards and forwards, and then letting the main root of the plant gently into the cavity, and pressing the 
mud round it. The species is propagated by dividing the main root or underground stem, taking care that a few 
of the fibrous roots are attached to each portion, and that these fibrous roots are neither bruised nor broken ; 
those which are at all injured had better be cut ofiF. If the water lily be planted in running water, a stone 
should be laid on the main root to keep it in the proper place ; but the water- lily never looks well in running 
water, as it requires the stillness of a pond or lake to give it that air of majestic repose which is so decidedly its 
characteristic, and which has made poets call it the queen of aquatic flowers. Even when planted in ponds, it 
should not be in very deep water, as when this is the case, the stalk becomes elongated and so weak, as to be 
scarcely able to support the flower, which consequently loses much of the beauty and grandeur of its appearance. 
The petals close at night and reopen in the morning ; but they do not sink beneath the water when they close, 
as was formerly supposed. There is a dwarf variety, which is found wild in Alsace, also near Baden, and 
near Moscow ; and which is distinguished from the other dwarf kinds, by the stamens looking like pointed petals. 
2.— NYMPH.a;A ODORATA, Ait. THE SWEET-SCENTED WATER LILY. 
and veins on the under surface very prominent ; stigmas 16 — 20- 
raycd ; rays erect, inflexed at the top. (G. Von.) 
Engravings. — Bot. Mag. t. 819, and t. 1652; Bot. Rep. t. 297; 
and our Jigs. 2 and 3 in Plate 14. 
Specific Character. — Leaves cordate, quite entire, with the nerves 
Description, &c. — This beautiful flower has a most delightful fragrance ; but it has the disadvantage of 
only being open in the morning, as it closes soon after noon. It is a native of North America, whence it was 
introduced in 1780, and where its rhizoma, or main root, is used in medicine, as it is a powerful astringent. The 
variety, which is also a native of North America, whence it was introduced in 1812, has small white flowers, 
with very narrow petals. The variety is often called rosea, but not, as Pursh supposes, from the colour of the 
flowers, it being the under side of the leaf which is red. In the species, some of the inner stamens have petal- 
like filaments like A^. alba ; but this is not the case with the variety. The culture of both the species and 
variety is the same as that of the common water-lily. 
3. — NYMPH.ffiA NITIDA, Sims. THE SHINING WATER LILY. 
Engravings. — Bot. Mag. t. 1359 ; and ouryii/. 4, in Plate 14. I prominent on the under surface; petioles smooth; petals- blunt; 
Specific Character. — Leaves cordate, quite entire; nerves not 1 stigmas 12 — 20-rayed. (G. Don.) 
Description, &c. — This species is easily distinguished from all the others by the dark purple of the outside 
of the sepals, and also by its rhizoma or root-stock, which is erect, instead of being creeping, with fibrous roots 
projecting from its sides. The leaves also have the veins sunk into them on both sides, instead of projecting on 
the lower side as in N. odorata. This species is said to be more tender than the others, and to be a native of 
China. It was introduced in I80t>. 
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