Tubers in Nymphaea Lotus , var. monstrosa . m 
the parts of the flower, even to the stigma, were leafy, while 
the ovules were entirely wanting/ 
In the Gardeners Chronicle, 1885, p. 548, is figured a 
monstrous specimen of Nymphaea devoniensis \ exhibiting 
axillary floral prolification. It is described as follows : ‘ In 
the aquarium at Syon House, it was observed, a few weeks 
ago, that the beautiful water-lily, called N. devoniensis , had 
produced a flower, from the midst of which arose another lily, 
itself hanging gracefully at the end of another stalk The 
new flower proceeded directly from the axil or base of one of 
the stamens. .... But the disturbance of the natural condition 
of this water-lily was by no means confined to the production 
of a second flower. On the contrary, it extended to the inner- 
most organs, and forced the very stigmas to grow up into 
small green leaves folded up as they always are in the young 
bud/ 
In commenting upon this specimen, Masters writes : 4 It is 
curious that among Dr. Kirk’s drawings of East African 
Tropical plants now at Kew, there should be one representing 
a precisely similar state of things. The species, in both 
instances, was N . Loins , or a cultivated variety of it 2 .’ 
Lastly, Nymphaea dentata , another variety of Nymphaea 
Lotus , is mentioned as one of those few plants in which it is 
not uncommon for stamens to be changed to ordinary foliage- 
leaves 3 . Again, phyllody of the pistils, which is a commoner 
occurrence, is also mentioned as found in this plant 4 . 
It is perhaps not surprising that peculiarities of this kind 
should be found more frequently in the varieties of the present 
species. The plant has been known from time immemorial: 
it is the sacred Lotus of the Egyptians, and is found painted 
upon their ancient monuments. It is at present extensively 
cultivated all over the Old World, and is by far the best 
known of the water-lilies. Any peculiarities would at once be 
detected in so valuable an ornamental plant. And probably 
1 A hybrid of N. Lotus , obtained from the variety rubra crossed with the type, 
raised at Chatsworth. The Garden, Apr. 14, 1883. 
2 Masters’ Terat. p. 143. 3 lb. 256. 
4 lb. 258. 
