Szekessy Vilmos (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 59. (Budapest 1967)
Radics, F.: A revision of the Nymphaea material in Hungarian Natural History Museum
Accordingly, SIMONKAI'S two "races" examined above (Gastalia alba var. venusta, and Castalia minoriflora) may more correctly be defined as Nymphaea alba x Candida x tetragona f. subalba, and Nymphaea alba x Candida X tetragona f. subcandida respectively (Plate I, Fig 4; Plate II, Fig. 9). Before I submit the results of my studies concerning the plants not published in literature but deposited in our Herbarium and indentified as N. Candida or one of its varieties, the circumstances of occurrence of N. alba, allegedly inhabiting Hungary according to CONARD or some other work of reference, should first be clarified. With respect to the geographical distribution of N. alba (L.) PRESL, CONARD lists the Rákos-brook near Budapest, on the basis of STEINITZ'S collection (Flora exsiccata austro-hungarica, No. 2056). Owing to the regulation of water-ways and the building up of the neighbouring sites Nymphaeas can no more be found in that area. However, there are 16 exsiccatae deriving from this locality in the herbarium of the Department ; two of them are from STEINITZ'S own collection (No. 58092 and 58078), and one, collected also by STEINITZ (NO. 58100), from the Flora exsiccata austro-hungarica and with a specific number cited also by CONARD. STEINITZ himself identified these plants, without exception, as N. alba L. The label of No. 58092 was corrected by BORBÁS into "var. PRESL" and also indicated his action by "BORBÁS dedit". It is not known to whom he had given it, since this plant has in the meantime been also in HAYNALD'S collection. This specimen was collected in 1878 (STEINITZ). It was of this plant that BORBÁS wrote in 1878 that in various places along the Rákos brook the water surfaces among the reeds are ornamented by the floating leaves and flowers of Nymphaea alba var. Candida (22). According to my investigations, this plant is to be defined as N. alba x Candida x tetragona f. subcandida, that is, a fertile hyride resembling N. Candida (Plate, Figs. 4, 5, 6). On the basis of the discernible morphological features, most of the Nymphaeas collected in the erstwhile reedy patches of the Rákos are also N. alba x Candida x tetragona f. subcandida. The label of one of the sheets (No. 58113) bears SIMONKAI'S revision in his own handwriting: "Castalia minoriflora (BORB.) SIMK." (Plate II, Fig. 8). I had occasion to examine STEINITZ'S Nymphaea specimen cited above (No. 58100), even though it is rather badly preserved. (It is well-known that certain Nymphaeas are not easy to identify, and especially when not conserved carefully enough !) Notwithstanding that, the distribution of the following characteristics can be established: alba-features : the rounded and apically slightly emarginate leaf has reddishbrown margins on the underside ; the astomatic area and the primaries are a paler green ; the low T est pair of (lobal) primaries are divergent ; the margins of the sinus are straight; the underside of the sepals is reddish brown below; the outermost, wider and apically obtuse petals have a green stripe on the back, and a reddish brown tint below; the carpellary styles are great in number (19—20); the rays are grooved, and the stigma deeply depressed and infundibuliform ; Candida-features : the innermost staminal filaments are wider than the anthers ; stigmatic disk is reddish violet, and the pistillar filaments are tridentate on the base of the carpels ; tetragona -features : the petioles are thin ; the upperside of the leaves is brownspotted; the lobes are divergent, their apex projecting and pointed; the receptacle is rotundo-quadrangular ; occasionally only one anther of the outermost stamens evolve ; the anthers of the innermost stamens are about as long as the outermost ones, and some are even longer. Aside of the mixture of these elements, the hybrid nature of the plant is further
