Stipules broad, with a free rounded end. Peduncles from
the axils of both kinds of leaves, equally thick throughout.
Flowers very large. Sepals ovate, greenish, with a diaphanous
edge. Petals not touching each other, except immediately
after the flower has opened, white, with a claw and rather
large space at the base yellow, even at first more than twice
as long as the calyx, with many veins (9 or more). Nectary
ovate, with an elevated margin slightly more prominent below.
Stamens 20 or more. Style short, recurved, papillose. Carpels
compressed, rounded on the back, very blunt $ inner
edge nearly straight. Receptacle thick.
I continue to be unable to identify this beautiful plant with
any described species. It ^is nearly allied to R. peltatus, but
may, I believe, be always distinguished by its deeply trifid or
tripartite floating leaves, dark-green submersed leaves, and
rather short peduncles equally thick throughout. I t is also
closely allied to R. heterophyllus; but in that plant the segments
of the submersed leaves are not at all rigid, and always
collapse when removed from the water (in R.floribundus they
sometimes seem to do so, owing to the adhesion of extraneous
matter to them), the floating leaves have the lower half of the
outer edge nearly or even quite straight from its very base, its
segments are frequently quite separate and often stalked, and
their lobes are nearly acute (those of R.floribundus being very
blunt).
I t seems probable that many of the plants usually named
R. heterophyllus belong really to R. floribundus, and that it' is
therefore a common plant. I am informed that it is very
frequent on the northern side of London, in Epping Forest
for instance, from whence Mr. G. Gulliver has sent it to me.
I have seen specimens from the Isle of Wight, Essex, Hertfordshire,
Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire,
Warwickshire, Shropshire, and the east riding of Yorkshire.
The specimens figured were sent by the writer of this from
West Wratting, Cambridgeshire, where they grew in deep
water and floated like the radii of a circle on the surface. It
flowers in May and June.—C. C. B.