Nymphaeaceae

Nymphaea L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 510 (1753), nom. cons.
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Cosmopolitan.

Descriptions

Nymphaeaceae, F. A. Mendoça. Flora Zambesiaca 1:1. 1960

Morphology General Habit
Robust or delicate aquatic herbs, rhizome often tuberous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves large or medium, floating, emergent or submerged, lamina suborbicular to elliptic, deeply cordate, peltate, palmatinerved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 4 (sometimes appearing more numerous owing to the presence of ± sepaloid petals).
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 5-numerous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens perigynous; filaments petaloid; anthers obtuse or appendiculate owing to a prolongation of the connective.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels
Carpels numerous, pluriovulate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit fleshy, ripening under water.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds small, surrounded by a pulpy, sack-like aril open at the top.
[FZ]

Nymphaeaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1989

Morphology General Habit
Delicate to robust aquatic herbs with usually stout often tuberous rhizomes
Morphology Leaves
Leaves small to large, floating, emergent, or submerged, usually ± round or oval, often slightly to distinctly peltate, cordate, palmately nerved, entire to dentate; stipules present
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 4 (but ± sepaloid petals can be present), ± green
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 5–numerous, inserted at successively higher levels on the ovary, the outermost usually equalling or shorter than the sepals, the innermost shorter and narrower and grading into the stamens
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens numerous, the outer with broad petaloid filaments, all inserted towards the top of the ovary; anthers obtuse or with connective produced as an appendage
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary syncarpous, many-locular with numerous ovules in each locule; stigmatic surfaces radiating from central apical boss of the ovary and with marginal stylar processes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit fleshy or spongy, ripening under water and eventually splitting
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds small, floating due to air-containing sack-like pulpy aril and seed-wall.
[FTEA]

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes
Rhizome fleshy, creeping, edible; leaves with roundish floating blades cleft nearly to the middle on one side
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers showy and often fragrant; inner stamens with narrow filaments and yellow anthers, passing into outer ones with broad petaloid filaments and small anthers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels
Carpels united into a many-celled, half-inferior ovary
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit ripening under water and breaking irregularly to free the seeds.
Distribution
A widely distributed genus of about 50 species.
Vernacular
Known generally as water-lilies.
[Cayman]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually ± round to ovate, cordate, palmately nerved; stipules present
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 4
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 5–numerous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Outer stamens with broad petaloid filaments
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary with stigmatic surface radiating from central apical boss and with marginal stylar processes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit ripening under water and eventually splitting
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds small, floating due to air-containing sack-like aril and seed-wall.
Distribution
Over 60 species, in both tropical and temperate regions.
[FSOM]

Uses

Use
The seeds of many species are both edible and nutritious, and are commonly eaten in several parts of the world.
[Cayman]

Common Names

english
waterlily
unknown
lotus, poi guj

Sources

  • EBC Common Names

    • Common Names from Kew's Economic Botany Collection https://www.kew.org/science/collections-and-resources/collections/economic-botany-collection

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Interactive Key to Seed Plants of Malesia and Indo-China

    • The Malesian Key Group (2010) Interactive Key to Seed Plants of Malesia and Indo-China (Version 2.0, 28 Jul 2010) The Nationaal Herbarium Nederland Leiden and The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Kew's Living Collection Database

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/