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. [Illustration] PLATE CCCXXXI. XYLOPHYLLA FALCATA. _Cymitar-shaped-leaved Xylophylla._ CLASS XXI. ORDER III. _MONŒCIA TRIANDRIA._ Chives and Pointals separate. Three Chives. GENERIC CHARACTER. * _Masculi flores._ CALYX. Perianthium monophyllum, tripartitum, coloratum; laciniis ovatis, patulis, ovatis. COROLLA. Petala tria, ovata, concava. STAMINA. Filamenta tria, brevissima, basi approximata. Antheræ subrotundæ, didymæ. * _Feminei flores_ in eodem fasciculo cum masculis. CALYX. Perianthium ut in mare. COROLLA ut in mare. _Nectarium_ corpusculis glandulosis germen ambientibus. PISTILLUM. Germen subrotundum, trisulcatum. Styli tres, patuli, bifidi. Stigmata obtusa. PERICARPIUM. Capsula trigona, trisulca, trilocularis; loculis bivalvibus. SEMINA solitaria. * _Male flowers._ EMPALEMENT. Cup one leaf, three divided, coloured; segments egg-shaped, spreading, oval. BLOSSOM. Petals three, egg-shaped, concave. CHIVES. Threads three, very short, and approaching at the base. Tips roundish, double. * _Female flowers_ in the same tuft with the males. EMPALEMENT. Cup as in the male. BLOSSOM as in the male. _Honey-cup_ is formed of small glandular bodies surrounding the seed-bud. POINTAL. Seed-bud roundish, three-furrowed. Shafts three, short. Summits blunt. SEED-VESSEL. Capsule three-sided, three-furrowed, three cells; cells two-valved. SEEDS solitary. SPECIFIC CHARACTER. Xylophylla foliis sparsis, integris, falcatis, crenatis; crenis remotis, floriferis; floribus rubris.