The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1895-10-02
For THE FLORAL DEPARTMENT.
Acuuatic Plants in Florida.


cessions of bright, sunny days and the
equable temperature through SO great a
portion of the year, furnish just the eli
matte conditions under which water-loving
plants do their best, and it only needs in
addition a sufficient depth of water over
rich soil to produce an exuberance Of
growth not excelled outside the tropics.
Fewer aquantics are to be seen in our
numerous lakes than might be expected,
but this is owing to the fact that the ma
jority of the lakes have white sand bottoms
in which plants cannot find nourishment.
But wherever there is a 'cove" with
mucky bottom. some form of aquatic vege-
tation is sure to be both abundant and lux
uriant, though too often it IS only the COM
mon and coarse-though interesting-S
terdock, Cowpad or Bonnets (Nuphar ad-
vena), which successfully crowds out al
most every water plant except the Water
Hyacinth and Water Lettuce. In lakes.
streams and rivers having mucky bottoms,
and in and around marshes, may be found
growing an abundance of moisture loving
plants in great variety, some OF them Of
exceptional and exquisite beauty and all
of them Accordingly interesting to the bot
anist.
Of Water Lilies (Nympheas) Florida can
boast of two native species Of exceptional
beauty, rarity and interest. One IN. fava)
is genuine yellow Water Lily and is not
known to exist in a wild state elsewhere in
the world. though Mexico has closely al
lied yellow species IN. Mexcana), AL
though the Florida yellow Water Lily was
figured in one of Audubons works, it was
afterwards completely lost sight of until
rediscovered a few years ago, in the ST.
Johns river, by Mrs. Mary Treat, in whose
honor the beautiful Zephyranthes Treatioe
was named. Its leaves and flowers are
little smaller than are those of the common
Water Lily IN. odorata) of the North,
while its root stalks are very distinct and
increase rapidly by means of numerous
runners. The leaves are prettily varie-
gated with brown, and the blossoms are
bright golden yellow and deliciously scented
something like locust-tree blossoms but
more delicate.
The other is evidently gigantic form Of
the common white Water Lily of the North
and has been Professionally named Nymph-
oea odorata gigantea, but it may prove an
entirely new species. 1t is truly gigantic
in all its parts-fowers, leaves and roots.
The leaves are very thick and heavy, the
margins curiously rufAed, and in some in
stances turned up forming a rim after the
manner of the wonderful South American
Victoria regia Specimens Of the leaves
have been measured and found to be
twenty-five inches in diameter. It's flow
ers are fragrant, pure white with golden
yellow center, and of a decidedly cup
shape, giving it very distinct appearance.
Many specimens of the flowers are found
to be quite eight inches across. Growing
beside it the Northern n odorata looks
like pigmy beside giant 1t has proved
to be perfectly hardy at the North where
its Righteousness and beauty have won for
it words of highest commentator. A very
strong point in its favor is that it begins to
bloom very early in the season and contin-
ues until late in the fall after the other