On a change of Flowers to Tubers in Nym- 
phaea Lotus, var. monstrosa. 
BY 
C. A. BARBER, B.A. 
Scholar of Christ's College, Cambridge ; Demonstrator of Botany in the 
University of Cambridge. 
With Plate V. 
MONG the plants of Nymphaea in the Water-lily House 
ii at Kew there is a specimen brought from Lake Nyassa 
by Sir John Kirk in 1886, which shows great abnormality in 
the formation of its flowers. 
In the first summer after its introduction, it flowered in a 
normal manner, and was determined by Professor Oliver to be 
a white-flowered variety of Nymphaea Lotus. It was accord- 
ingly distinguished from the other numerous varieties of the 
species by the name flore albo 1 . 
Mr. Watson of Kew Gardens tells me that, while the first 
formed flower-buds were developing into - the normal blooms, 
a further and very large development of buds took place, 
suggesting that the variety would turn out to be of value for 
horticultural purposes. These buds were, however, slow of 
growth, and, upon examination, it was found that they were 
curiously deformed. The sepals, which appeared as usual, 
were not followed in due course by petals and stamens, 
1 Owing to the peculiarities subsequently to be described, I think it better to 
follow Mr. Watson’s suggestion, and to call the plant by the varietal name 
monstrosa. 
[Annals of Botany, Vol. IV. No. XIII. November 1889.] 
