NYMPHÆA, in anatomy, two membranaceous parts, situated on each side the rima. They are of a red colour, and cavernous structure, somewhat resembling the wattles under a cock's throat. They are sometimes smaller, sometimes larger; and are contiguous to the prepuce of the clitoris, and joined to the interior side of the labia.

NYMPHÆA, the water-lily; a genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the polyandria class of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 5th order, Miscellaneous. The corolla is polypetalous; the calyx tetraphyllous or pentaphyllous; the berry multilocular and truncated. There are four species; of which the most remarkable are, 1, 2. The lutea and alba, or yellow and white water-lilies; both of which are natives of Britain, growing in lakes and ditches: Linnaeus tells us, that fwiine are fond of the leaves and roots of the former; and that the smoke of it will drive away crickets and blatta, or cockroaches, out of houses.—The root of the second has an astringent and bitter taste, like those of most aquatic plants that run deep into the mud. The Highlanders make a dye with it of a dark chestnut colour. 3. The lotus, with heart-shaped toothed leaves, a plant thought to be peculiar to Egypt, is thus mentioned by Herodotus: "When the river Nile is become full, and all the grounds round it are a perfect sea, there grows a vast quantity of lilies, which the Egyptians call lotus, in the water. After they have cut them, they dry them in the sun; then, having parched the seed within the lotus, which is most like the poppy, they make bread of it, baking it with fire. The root also of the lotus is eatable, easily becoming sweet, being round, and of the size of an apple." M. Savary mentions it as growing in the rivulets and on the sides of the lakes; and that there are two sorts or varieties of the plant, the one with a white, the other with a bluish flower. "The calyx (he says) blows like a large tulip, and diffuses a sweet smell, resembling that of the lily. The first species produces a round root like that of a potato; and the inhabitants of the banks of the lake Menzall feed upon it. The rivulets in the environs of Damietta are covered with this majestic flower, which rises upwards of two feet above the water." 4. In the East and West Indies grows a species of this plant, named nelumbo by the inhabitants of Ceylon. The leaves which rest upon the surface of the water are smooth, undivided, perfectly round, thick, target-shaped, and about one foot and a half in diameter. The footstalk of the leaves is prickly; and inserted, not into their base, or margin, as in most plants, but in the centre of the lower disk or surface. From this centre, upon the upper surface, issue, like rays, a great number of large ribs, or nerves, which towards the circumference are divided and subdivided into a small number of very minute parts. The flowers are large, flesh-coloured, Nymphæa, and consist of numerous petals, disposed, as in the other species of water-lily, in two or more rows. The seed-vessel is shaped like a top, being broad and circular above, narrow and almost pointed below. It is divided into several distinct cells, which form so many large round holes upon the surface of the fruit; each containing a single seed.—With the flower of this plant, which is sacred among the heathens, they adorn the altars of their temples: they paint their gods sitting upon it; and make use of such pictures to animate the minds of the pious on their death-bed, and to raise their affections to heaven. The stalks, which are used as a pot-herb, are of a wonderful length. The root is very long, extends itself transversely, is of the thickness of a man's arm, jointed and fibrous, with long intervals betwixt the joints. The fibres surround the joints in verticilli or whorls. 5. A species of nymphæa, called by the Chinese lien-bon and nenufar, is highly extolled in that country for its excellent virtues, and ranked by their physicians among these plants which are employed in the composition of the liquor of immortality. The seeds are there eaten as we eat silberds in Europe: they are more delicate when they are green, but harder of digestion; they are preserved in many different ways with sugar. The root of this plant is also admitted by the Chinese to their tables: in whatever manner it be prepared, it is equally wholesome. Great quantities of it are pickled with salt and vinegar, which they reserve to eat with their rice. When reduced to powder, it makes excellent soup with water and milk. The leaves of the nenufar are much used for wrapping up fruits, fish, salt provisions, &c. When dry, the Chinese mix them with their smoking tobacco, to render it softer and milder.

The high veneration in which the nymphæa lotos was held by the Egyptians, is fully known; and at this hour it is equally venerated by the Hindoos. Sir William Jones, in speaking of Brimha, Vishnou, and Shiva, as emblematical representations of the Deity, says,

"The first operations of these three powers are evidently described in the different Puranas by a number of allegories; and from them we may deduce the Ionian philosophy of primeval water, the doctrine of the mundane egg, and the veneration paid to the nymphæa or lotos, which was anciently revered in Egypt, as it is at present in Hindoostan, Tibet, and Nepal. The Tibetans are said to embellish their temples and altars with it; and a native of Nepal made prostrations before it on entering my study where the fine plant and beautiful flowers lay for examination."

NYMPHÆA (amongst the ancients), doubtful what structures they were; some take them to have been grottos, deriving their name from the statues of the nymphs with which they were adorned; but that they were considerable works appears from their being executed by the emperors Ammian, Victor, Capitolinus; or by the city prefects. In an inscription, the term is written nymphium. None of all these nymphæa has lasted down to our time. Some years since, indeed, a square building of marble was discovered between Naples and Vesuvius, with only one entrance, and some steps that went down to it. On the right hand as Nymphaeum you enter, towards the head, there is a fountain of the purest water; along which, by way of guard as it were, is laid a naked Arethusa of the whitest marble; the bottom or ground is of variegated marble, and encompassed with a canal fed by the water from the fountain: the walls are set round with shells and pebbles of various colours; by the setting of which, as by so many strokes in a picture, are expressed the 12 months of the year, and the four political virtues; also the rape of Proserpine; Pan playing on his reed, and soothing his flock; besides the representations of nymphs swimming, failing, and wantoning on fishes, &c.

It seems pretty evident that the nymphaeum were public baths; for at the same time that they were furnished with pleasing grottoes, they were also supplied with cooling streams, by which they were rendered exceedingly delightful, and drew great numbers of people to frequent them. Silence seems to have been a particular requisite there, as appears by this inscription, Nymphis lovi, lute, lava, tace. That building between Naples and Vesuvius mentioned above, was certainly one of these nymphaeum.

NYMPHÆUM, (Plutarch;) the name of a sacred place near Apollonia in Illyricum, sending forth continually fire in detached streams from a green valley and verdant meadows. Dio Cassius adds, that the fire neither burns up nor parches the earth, but that herbs and trees grow and thrive near it, and therefore the place is called nymphæum: near which was an oracle of such a nature, that the fire, to show that the wish was granted, consumed the frankincense thrown into it; but repelled it, in case the desire was rejected. It was there that a sleeping satyr was once caught and brought to Sylla as he returned from the Mithridatic war. This monster had the same features as the poets ascribe to the satyr. He was interrogated by Sylla and by his interpreters; but his articulations were unintelligible, and the Roman spurned from him a creature which seemed to partake of the nature of a beast more than that of a man.