THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESENTED BY PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID ROYAL WATER-LILY OF SOUTH AMERICA, WATER-LILIES OF OUR OWN LAND. •- ROYAL WATER-LILY SOUTH AMERICA, WATER-LILIES OF OUR OWN LAND THEIR HISTORY AND CULTIVATION. BY GEORGE LAWSON, F.B.S., &c. M EDINBURGH: JAMES HOGG. LONDON: R. GROOMBRIDGE & SONS. MDCCCLI. Ls CONTENTS. Page Introductory Observations , , , , , , , , , , . , 9 The Royal Water-Lily— Victoria Regina 24 The Great White Water-Lily— Nymphsa alba 81 The Common Yellow Water-Lily— Nnphar lutea 97 The Least Yellow Water-Lily— Nnphar pnmila , , , , , . 101 PREFACE. IT is pleasing to observe, in these days of popular science, that the delightful study of Natural His- tory, as a branch of general education, is keeping pace with the rapid progress of other departments of knowledge. Although the lovely science of Bo- tany has not yet assumed an entirely popular form, suitable for all classes, still, much has recently been done to render it attractive, to extend its influences, and to encourage the taste for its study; and the author of these pages feels a gratification in contri- buting his mite to this department of literature. The object of the present work is to place before the general reader a popular, yet full and accurate, detail of the history of the most magnificent of all plants, the Royal Water-Lily of South America; to- gether with an account of those less gorgeous, but not less interesting, species that adorn the Lakes and Rivers of our own land. IV PREFACE. In the popularisation of Botany, the author is well aware that those efforts are most likely to meet with success which are directed towards the elucidation of our native Flora; and he has accord- ingly dwelt at some length on this part of the subject. Although written in a style calculated to engage the attention of the general reader, it is confidently hoped that the work may likewise prove a useful Manual to the cultivator, and be found worthy of perusal by the scientific botanist. November, 1850. INTRODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS. WHILE the dry land is richly clothed with an in- numerable array of vegetable forms, each suitable for the region assigned to it by Nature — the gorgeous Orchid luxuriating in the humid shade, and the noble Palm waving in the warm breeze, of the tropics, while a race of more humble productions beautify the meadows and mountains of our northern isle — so, in like manner, the unfathomable ocean, teeming with life, is abundantly furnished with its myriads of pecu- liar plants, capable of existing in the watery element alone, and often exhibiting a beauty and delicacy of structure totally unknown among the more familiar tribes, which compose the " carpet of flowers and of verdure spread over the naked crust of our planet." The oceanic vegetation, moreover, frequently dis- plays the brightest and the freshest hues, rivalling the magnificent and lovely productions of the tropical Flora; and the illustrious Humboldt bears witness that, at the depth of 20o feet, the lead brought up sea-weed " green as grass." The Sargasso Sea, as it is called, presents floating oceanic meadows of the gulf- 10 AQUATIC PLANTS. weed, " extending over a surface almost seven times greater than that of France," and a single stem of Macrocystis pyrifera of the Pacific has been found to attain the length of 1500 feet, while the Chorda Filum of the British seas extends to 40 feet. Even " our land-forests do not harbour so many animals as the low, wooded regions of the ocean, where the Sea- weed rooted to the shoals, or long branches of Fuci, detached by the force of waves or currents, and swim- ming free, upborne by air-cells, unfold their delicate foliage." Well, indeed, may the botanist exclaim, in the language of the poet — " Oh, what an endlesse worke have I iu hand, To count the Sea's abundant progeny ! Whose fruitfulle seede farre passeth those in land, And also those which wonne in the azure sky. For much more eath to tell the starres on hy, Albe they endless seem in estimation, Then to recount the Sea's posterity ; So fertile be the flouds in generation, So huge their numbers, and so numberlesse their nation." But, besides the numerous family of Ocean Flowers, which, in vast congregations, form the meadows and the forests of the deep, and often fringe our rocky shores, and line with their delicate tapestry the dreary caverns at the bottom of the sea, there is a large class of Aquatic plants, whose foliage and flowers float upon the surface of the water in our lakes and rivers, and in whose structural characters AQUATIC PLANTS. 11 and general appearance we readily trace remarkable similarities with those of the phanerogamous vege- tation of the dry land. The curious Vallisneria (the female blossoms of which reach the surface of the water by means of a spirally elastic stalk, and are impregnated by the male becoming detached from the bottom, and floating to the surface, likewise, at maturity) is an example of aquatic vegetation well known to every one who has been in the habit of reading botanical books; and the no less curious Pontederias, remarkable from the inflated leaf-stalks which float them in the water, are equally well known. In our own country, the various species of Potamo- geton are perhaps the most prevalent aquatics, seve- ral of them being extremely common, often com- pletely covering the surface of the stagnant pond, or the purer waters of the pellucid lake. The Ranun- culus aquatilis is also common in pools or gentle streams, clothing them with a turf-like verdure, and exhibiting a lovely array of pure white blossoms in early summer time; and the Butomus, not unfrequent in the English lakes, though a rare plant, and, at best, an introduced one to Scotland, is peculiarly in- teresting to the few who still cling to the Linnsean method, from the circumstance of its being the only British representative of the class Enneandria. To botanists of the present day, a recent addition to our Aquatic Flora, the Anacharis, is highly curious, having only been recognised as a British genus within 12 WATER-LILY FAMILY. the last few years, and subsequently found in the utmost profusion in many of our waters, more espe- cially in England, where, if it be not really indige- nous, it has become so abundant, and proved so troublesome, as to require removal by dredging. It is a near ally of the Vallisneria. But by far the most beautiful tribe of Aquatic plants is the Water-Lilies — those lovely Naiads that adorn the lakes and rivers with their ample foliage, in tropical as well as temperate lands, and, raising their gorgeous flowers with the morning sun, recline them " In graceful attitudes, to rest," as the god of day sinks in the western horizon. These plants are arranged by botanists into the Natural Order Nymphceacece ; but the name of Water-Lily is often extended to an allied family, the Nelumbiacece. The natural order, Nymphaeacese — which derives its name from its members, nymph-like, inhabiting the waters — although entirely composed of plants holding no higher station than that of "aquatic herbs," is, nevertheless, at once one of the loveliest and one of the most interesting tribes of the whole Vegetable Kingdom. The expansive and verdant foliage of the Nymphseas, floating gracefully upon the surface of the water, render them highly con- spicuous as well as pleasing objects in the pure ele- ment which they inhabit, while their truly splendid blossoms of pure white, delicate rose, bright yellow, WATER-LILY FAMILY. 13 or, as iu the Cape species, of a lively blue, and often deliciously odoriferous, form additional charms. In geographical distribution, the species chiefly abound in the northern hemisphere, being of much rarer occurrence in the southern; sometimes they inhabit the obscure stream or more noble river, and at others enjoy the seclusion and retirement of the still and placid lake — " Crowning the depths as with the light serene Of a pure heart." The true and natural position of the Nymphseacese, or Water-Lilies, in the Natural System of Classifica- tion, is by no means very clearly determined, and has given rise to great differences of opinion among scientific observers. Indeed, so ambiguous is the pe- culiar structure of these plants, and so different are the conclusions arrived at by those vegetable physiolo- gists who have given the subject their close attention, that the Nymphseas have been considered by some to belong to the class of Endogens, while the general opinion of the present day shows a decided tendency to rank them in the other important class of flower- ing plants, the Exogens. Lindley assigns them a place in the latter class, although it seems only from the paucity of correct information elucidated con- cerning them, and the unsatisfactory results which have followed the arduous labours of other bota- nists, that he is " not prepared to disturb existing arrangements." In a volume like the present, ad- 14 WATER-LILY FAMILY. dressed to a popular audience, it would be out of place to enter upon a discussion of this purely physio- logical question; and we cannot do better than refer the scientific reader to that important work, the " Vegetable Kingdom," for an extremely concise yet comprehensive view of the various opinions em- braced by different botanists regarding the true cha- racter and position of the Nymphseas. To these plants, various properties have been at- tributed which, in the present day, are not by any means generally recognised, and Dr Wight has sug- gested that they may have originally arisen, as in many similar instances, from the circumstance of the plants inhabiting the " cool and placid waters, com- bined with the chaste whiteness of their flowers." However, the roots, as well as the seeds, of all the species abound in starch; and, though not now in so very high repute among the natives of the various re- gions they inhabit, they were, in the earlier ages, more especially in the East, valued as wholesome food. Even in the present day, some of the species are used to a considerable extent. The seeds of Nym- phsea rubra — a magnificent Indian species, of fre- quent occurrence, inhabiting the fresh-water pools and gently-flowing rivers — are used by the natives, and considered wholesome — the roots, however, be- ing only resorted to in times of scarcity or famine. Various other species afford food to the aborigines of the tropics, the seeds being manufactured into LOTUS OF THE ANCIENTS. 15 bread ; and Sloane records, in his " History of Ja- maica," that the Egyptians ate the juicy stalks in the heats, and made use of the leaves and flowers " for hot pains, as, likewise, the oils, which are used in want of sleep." But N. esculenta seems to be esteemed above all others for food by the natives of the East — the tuberous root, or rhizome, being the portion used. The .Nymphseas are also applied to other purposes; and the author we have just quoted also tells us, that in Florida, on one occasion, the In- dians being surrounded in a lake by the Christians, they, the former, endeavoured their escape in the night with Water-Lily leaves on their heads. The N. Lotus — which is used for food in the form of bread, the roots being also eaten — is a famous plant in an- cient history, and known under the name of Lotus. It is still held sacred in the East; and it is related that a native of Nepaul, upon entering Sir William Jones's study, made prostrations before flowers of this plant, which happened to lie there for examina- tion. The celebrated Lotus meets not with the same respect in Hungary, for there the roots are given to hogs. It is stated, that in some districts of that country this Water-Lily may be seen on every stream; and it has been observed to flourish in the hot springs, at a heat equal to 95 deg. of Fahrenheit. But the Nymphsea Lotus is not the only plant to which the name of Lotus has been applied; on the contrary, it is now pretty generally believed that 16 LOTUS OF THE ANCIENTS. another and more magnificent Water-Lily — the Ne- lumbhmi speciosum of botanists — is the true Lotus of the ancients — that " Mythic Lotus," as Lindley says, "which so often occurs on the monuments of Egypt and India." Indeed, it has been suggested that the name originally belonged to some kind of bean, or other leguminous plant, common in Greece, and was subsequently applied to the Nelumbium and other Water-Lilies, on account of the similarity of their seed, just as our English voyagers give the names of Apples, Pears, and Gooseberries, to such tropical fruits as bear an apparent resemblance to the produce of their own country, and as Herodotus had long before, in describing the same plant, called it a rose-coloured Lily. Certain it is, that various Water-Lilies, but chiefly the Nymphsea Lotus and Nelumbium speciosum, were recognised by the name of Lotus, and held in great esteem by the ancient Egyptians, for we find that the blossoms " crowned their columns, were sculptured on their temples, and associated with their gods." The Egyptian Bean of Pythagoras is generally referred to the fruit of the Nelumbium. This plant, although once abundant on the Nile (from its association with which it derived its be- coming name of " Rose of the Nile "), and describ- ed by Theophrastus as occurring spontaneously, as well as where cultivated, is not now an inhabi- tant of the " father of rivers." It is supposed to have LOTUS OF THE ANCIENTS. 17 been originally introduced to Egypt, and cultivated there. The ancient Egyptians had a highly curious mode of sowing the seeds of this plant, and the gar- deners of the present day may perhaps take a lesson from them. The seeds were planted in balls of mud or clay, mixed with chaff', and when thus cast upon the waters, sunk immediately to the bottom into a bed suitable for their germination. Dr Royle men- tions that this mode of sowing is to the present day practised by certain tribes in the Indian Peninsula; and it has been instanced as a beautiful illustration of the passage in the sacred writings — Cast thy bread upon the waters, and thou shalt find it after many days. The TsTelumbium is that " holy and beautiful plant often met with in the religious ceremonies of the Hindoos, under the Sanscrit name Padma." It has long been considered one of the most splendid Aqua- tics which inhabit the Eastern waters. Its lovely pea-green leaves, when in a young state, float upon the water; but at a more advanced stage, and when the plant is in flower, they are raised upon the stalks above the surface. The leaves measure nearly two feet in diameter, and afford resting-places for various members of the animal kingdom. " Snakes slum- ber on the floating leaves of Nelumbium specio- sum, and aquatic birds, especially the long-toed Chinese Jacaua, trip gracefully over them, and some- times build their nests in the cavities." In the 18 .ETHIOPIAN LILY. East, the Nelumbium is especially to be seen on those lakes which resist the drought of the hot sea- son. The large blossoms — nearly ten inches in dia- meter at full expansion, and produced, in some parts, throughout the entire year — are described by all who have seen them in their native waters to be of the most gorgeous character, although almost desti- tute of odour. In the words of Roxburgh, the flowers are " large and beautiful beyond description, particu- larly in the rose-coloured varieties. ... In China, there is a still more beautiful bright crimson variety, which they call Hung-lin," and which has been stated to be edible. This plant seems to supply the natives of India both with food and dishes from which to eat it. The seeds, and likewise the tender shoots of the roots, are made use of by them as an article of diet, while they use the large leaves in- stead of plates, from which to take their food. The spiral vessels which Dr Wight has observed to abound in the Nelumbium, are carefully collected, and form those wicks, " which, on great and solemn occasions, are burnt in the lamps of the Hindoos, placed be- fore the shrines of their gods." The Nelumbium, or Rose of the Nile, must not be confounded by the non-botanical reader with a very different plant, often cultivated in our green- houses under the names of Lily of the Nile and ^Ethiopian Lily. This is the Calla ^Ethiopica of Lin- naeus, the Richardia Africana of modern botanists, .ETHIOPIAN LILY. 19 and has no structural affinity with any of the other plants known as Lilies and Water-Lilies. It belongs to the natural order Araceae, the Arum Family — be- ing associated with the Cuckoo-pint, or Wake-Robin of our woods (from the root of which plant Portland Sago is prepared), the tongue-swelling Dumb-cane, and the Acorus Calamus, or Sweet Flag. The Richardia is easily cultivated, either in the green- house or in the dwelling-house window — a plentiful supply of water being all that is necessary to insure its success. It has been observed, that when the Calla has too much water given it, this will distil away in drops from the tapering points of the leaves, perfectly limpid, and of an acrid taste. It requires to be grown in a pretty large pot, so that its roots may have plenty of room; and, where it can be done, the plant will grow all the better if the pot is plunged into a tub, or cistern of water. The ^Ethiopian Lily grows very well throughout the summer season in the open air pond, and, where entirely covered with a depth of water sufficient to place its roots beyond the reach of frosts, is said to stand over the winter, and thrive well as a permanent out-of-door Aquatic. Its arrow-shaped, upright leaves, elevated above the water on long stalks, and the large pure white spathe which it produces, render the Richardia an object of great beauty, and point it out as a fitting companion on the lake, but more especially on the artificial pond, for the Great White Water-Lily of our own 20 BRITISH WATER-LILIES. land. As a greenhouse plant, it flowers in the winter and early spring months. It is a well-known fact in botanical geography, that the vegetation of tropical regions far surpasses in splendour the more modest forms of vegetable life that are found in the cold and temperate regions of our globe. This is, however, only a general rule; and, like many general rules in natural science, has its exceptions. In the case of marine Algae, and other productions inhabiting the ocean, we find that latitude has a very weak influence in varying their form and appearance — the briny element being of much more equable temperature, throughout the different regions, than the atmosphere and the earth's surface. To some extent, this may likewise, in some instances, hold good with respect to lacus- trine vegetation, which, in our own country, assumes a comparatively luxuriant aspect; but, on the other hand, we find that those tropical aquatics and semi- aquatics, whose habitats are on the margins of rivers and in shallow waters, often assume a luxuriance and splendour scarcely to be met wTith in other tribes, and such is especially the case with the magnificent family of Water-Lilies, some of which have, ever since the earliest days of botanical science, been uni- versally acknowledged to be the most splendid of plants. We accordingly find that the Water-Lilies of our own land are not so brilliantly adorned as the species BRITISH WATER-LILIES. 21 of the tropics, where the necessary conditions for the full development of a luxuriant vegetation are al- ways present; yet the Naiads of our own northern waters are, in their own modest way, exquisitely beautiful, and have many and strong claims upon the attention of the botanist and the cultivator. Their peculiarly pleasing aspect, in complete accord- ance with the character of our lake scenery, recom- mends them to the especial notice of the landscape gardener, while their easy cultivation ought to in- duce their introduction into every garden or plea- sure-ground where a sufficient supply of pure water is at command. Few aquatics can be so easily managed, in the open air pond; few present a more lovely appearance; and certainly none equal them in interest. Highly as we regard the important discoveries of the naturalists of our day, we do think that a decided tendency is evinced by the horticul- turists of the present age to overlook the indige- nous productions of our own, in the eager desire for the novelties of other more favoured lands. While we can fully appreciate the value resulting to science from the researches of botanical travellers, we would have it be borne in mind that our native Flora ought not to meet with undeserved neglect; for many more of our British Wild-flowers, besides the Water- Lilies, claim our attention. True, indeed, they are not the gayest nor the brightest flowers in the world. Humble in growth and modest in colouring, B 22 BKITISH WATER-LILIES. they often seek to slmn the vulgar gaze beneath the overhanging woodland Lough, the shady rock, or the long green grass of the meadow. But as the gorgeous blossoms of tropical lands give to tropical scenes much of their grandeur and beauty, so many of the gentle flowers of our northern land come forth from their shy retreats to deck the merry plains of old England, and to begem the " land of brown heath" with brighter beauties than the poet dreamt of while depicting her features of stern grandeur. If the southern fo- rest can boast of its tree ferns rising in stately ma- jesty, o'ertopped by the towering Palm, and of the less grand, but not less lovely, productions that luxu- riate in the deep shade, or festoon the branches of every tree, can we not point the finger of admiration to the golden glow of our summer fields — the glory of our shady dells, brightly blue as the heavens o'er our head with Harebells and Forget-me- Nots — or, writh a prouder feeling still, can we not direct the eye to our lofty mountains covered far and wide with their mantle of bright purple Heather, with here an Oak, and there a Pine-forest waving in the mountain- breeze, and sheltering beneath their rough boughs many a modest gem of loveliness, linked in its associations with the finest feelings of the human heart 1 Beautiful in their lowliness, the humble wild- flowers claim our warmest sympathies; they are the dear things that adorn our native land, the remem- brancers of many a hallowed scene, and of many a BRITISH WATER-LILIES. 23 long-cherished love and friendship. In an especial manner are they entwined around our hearts; they have a "soul in every leaf," and we call in their aid to give expression to the highest and holiest emo- tions and feelings of our nature. The poets have lavished on them many a line of praise, and adorned with their fragile forms many a tale of love and in- nocence, joy and sorrow; and even the botanist often cherishes them as dearer than the bright and beau- teous blossoms that unfold beneath the sunny Indian sky. " Beautiful flowers ! to me ye fresher seem From the Almighty hand that fashioned all, Than those that flourished by a garden wall." THE ROYAL WATER-LILY-VICTORIA REGINA .* KC.CIR. JAN 2?ra 79 r-i-n O Q 1 007 FEB Zy I 3Oi LD 21A-50m-4,'60 (A9562slO)476B General Library University of California Berkeley Y° * - GENERAL LIBRARY - U.C. BERKELEY BDDD8bM23D