Water-lily with nearly round leaves, scollopped and purplish underneath; lobes straddling and pointed; cup four-leaved, longer than the pointed, blue petals.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. The Cup divested of the petals.
2. A Chive, natural size.
3. The seed-vessel, nearly arrived to maturity.
4. The same, cut transversely.
This fine species of Water-lily is a native of the East Indies, on the Malabar coast; and has been given by Rheed, in his Hortus Malabaricus, Vol. II. p. 53. fig. 27. At first sight, it has much the appearance of N. cœrulea, but upon closer inspection it is found to possess many strongly differing characters, viz. In this, the under part of the leaves are purplish, the lobes straddle; in that, they are tiled, or lay upon each other; in N. stellata the petals or chives seldom exceed ten; whereas, the N. cœrulea has an indefinite number of both. The roots, likewise, are perfectly distinct; in N. cœrulea the diverging roots proceed from the lower part of the bulb, from whence the leaves issue, but in N. stellata from the top, leaving below them a smooth top-shaped bulb. The parts which compose the summit, or rather the summits, (for indeed we should consider them, if it lay with us, as distinct pointals,) are expanded horizontally when the flower is in its perfect state, forming a star like appearance, whence its specific name. It is much tenderer than N. cœrulea, and will not flower but in strong heat. Mr. Anderson informs us that the plants which have produced perfect seeds, this year, were from seeds, received by A. B. Lambert, Esq. (communicated by Dr. Roxburgh from India) in the month of March, and raised by him for the collection of J. Vere, Esq. Kensington Gore, where our drawing was made in August.[Pg 85]
PLATE CCCXXXI.
XYLOPHYLLA FALCATA.
Cymitar-shaped-leaved Xylophylla.
CLASS XXI. ORDER III.