Nymphaea micrantha
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Order: Nymphaeales
Family: Nymphaeaceae
Genus: Nymphaea
Species:
N. micrantha
Binomial name
Nymphaea micrantha
Synonyms[3]
  • Nymphaea vivipara Lehm.

Nymphaea micrantha is a water lily belonging to the genus Nymphaea. It is native to the tropics of West Africa.

Botanical illustration of Nymphaea micrantha including a leaf with emerging plantlet, a unique feature of this species

Description

Its leaves are oval or round, 8-12 cm long, with a cluster of bulbils on the top of the leaf stalk. Flowers can reach up to 10 cm in diameter, and appear from approximately September to October.[4] The plant usually grows to a height of 20–80 cm (8–32 inches). It cannot be grown emersed.[5]

Reproduction

Vegetative reproduction

Foliar proliferation of Nymphaea micrantha Guill. & Perr.

New plantlets develop on the adaxial leaf surface through foliar proliferation. The development of those plantlets is halted, while the leaf is still attached. However, once the leaf is detached the plantlets develop fully.[6] In India, which is outside of this species natural range, it has been shown that Nymphaea micrantha predominantly reproduces asexually. In India it has been shown to lack any amount of genetic diversity.[7]

Cytology

The chromosome count is n = 14. The genome size is 889.98 Mb.[8]

Natural hybridisation

Detail of Nymphaea × daubenyana flower, a natural hybrid of Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea and Nymphaea micrantha[9]

Together with Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea, Nymphaea micrantha forms the natural hybrid Nymphaea × daubenyana native to Chad.[9]

Uses

Food source

Seeds of Nymphaea lotus and Nymphaea micrantha are eaten in Senegal.

References

  1. ↑ Diop, F. N. (2020). "Nymphaea micrantha". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T140427320A140426357.en. S2CID 241385406.
  2. ↑ International Plant Names Index. "Plant Name Details Nymphaeaceae Nymphaea micrantha Guill. & Perr". Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  3. ↑ "Nymphaea micrantha Guill. & Perr". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  4. ↑ Jones, Michael (1994). Flowering plants of the Gambia. A.A. Balkema. pp. 20–21. ISBN 9054101970.
  5. ↑ "Profile on Plantfinder". Retrieved 2008-01-02.
  6. ↑ Wiersema, John H. (1988). "Reproductive Biology of Nymphaea (Nymphaeaceae)". Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. 75 (3): 795–804. doi:10.2307/2399367. JSTOR 2399367.
  7. ↑ Parveen, Seema; Singh, Nutan; Adit, Arjun; Kumaria, Suman; Tandon, Rajesh; Agarwal, Manu; Jagannath, Arun; Goel, Shailendra (2022). "Contrasting Reproductive Strategies of Two Nymphaea Species Affect Existing Natural Genetic Diversity as Assessed by Microsatellite Markers: Implications for Conservation and Wetlands Restoration". Frontiers in Plant Science. 13: 773572. doi:10.3389/fpls.2022.773572. PMC 8965595. PMID 35371128.
  8. ↑ Chen, Fei; Liu, Xing; Yu, Cuiwei; Chen, Yuchu; Tang, Haibao; Zhang, Liangsheng (2017). "Water lilies as emerging models for Darwin's abominable mystery". Horticulture Research. 4: 17051. doi:10.1038/hortres.2017.51. PMC 5626932. PMID 28979789.
  9. 1 2 "Nymphaea × daubenyana W.T.Baxter ex Daubeny". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 3 July 2023.


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