Nuphar
Encyclopedia
Nuphar is genus of aquatic plant
s in the family Nymphaeaceae
, with a temperate
to subarctic
Northern Hemisphere
distribution. Common names include water-lily (Eurasian species; shared with many other genera in the same family), pond-lily, and spatterdock (North American species).
A total of eight species
and three hybrids are currently accepted in the genus
. A few botanists treat the genus as just a single variable species (for which the European name N. lutea
has priority), while 10–12 or more species are accepted by some other authorities. Recent molecular work has shown that there are substantial differences between the European and American species.
The genus is closely related to Nymphaea
. Nuphar differs in having its petal
s being much smaller than its 4-6 bright yellow-coloured sepal
s, whereas in Nymphaea, the petals are much larger than the sepals. The fruit
maturation also differs, with Nuphar fruit being held above water level to maturity, whereas Nymphaea fruit sink below the water level immediately after the flower closes. Both genera share leaves
with a radial notch from the circumference to the petiole
(leaf stem) in the centre.
Alkaloid
s in the genus include nupharolutine, nuphamine and nupharidine.
nuphar, from medieval Latin nenuphar, thence from Arabic
nīnūfar, thence from Persian
nīlūfar, thence from Sanskrit
nīlōtpala = blue lotus flower. For botanical gender, the name is treated as feminine.
Aquatic plant
Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments. They are also referred to as hydrophytes or aquatic macrophytes. These plants require special adaptations for living submerged in water, or at the water's surface. Aquatic plants can only grow in water or in soil that is...
s in the family Nymphaeaceae
Nymphaeaceae
Nymphaeaceae is a family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called water lilies and live in freshwater areas in temperate and tropical climates around the world. The family contains eight genera. There are about 70 species of water lilies around the world. The genus...
, with a temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
to subarctic
Subarctic
The Subarctic is a region in the Northern Hemisphere immediately south of the true Arctic and covering much of Alaska, Canada, the north of Scandinavia, Siberia, and northern Mongolia...
Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
distribution. Common names include water-lily (Eurasian species; shared with many other genera in the same family), pond-lily, and spatterdock (North American species).
A total of eight species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
and three hybrids are currently accepted in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
. A few botanists treat the genus as just a single variable species (for which the European name N. lutea
Nuphar lutea
Nuphar lutea is an aquatic plant of the family Nymphaeaceae, native to temperate regions of Europe, northwest Africa, and western Asia.-Growth:...
has priority), while 10–12 or more species are accepted by some other authorities. Recent molecular work has shown that there are substantial differences between the European and American species.
The genus is closely related to Nymphaea
Nymphaea
Nymphaea is a genus of aquatic plants in the family Nymphaeaceae. There are about 50 species in the genus, which has a cosmopolitan distribution.-Name:The common name, shared with some other genera in the same family, is Water Lily....
. Nuphar differs in having its petal
Petal
Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
s being much smaller than its 4-6 bright yellow-coloured sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s, whereas in Nymphaea, the petals are much larger than the sepals. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
maturation also differs, with Nuphar fruit being held above water level to maturity, whereas Nymphaea fruit sink below the water level immediately after the flower closes. Both genera share leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
with a radial notch from the circumference to the petiole
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
(leaf stem) in the centre.
Species
- Nuphar advenaNuphar advenaNuphar advena is a species of Nuphar native throughout the eastern United States, and just into the extreme south of Canada. It is similar to the Eurasian species N...
(AitonWilliam AitonWilliam Aiton was a Scottish botanist.Aiton was born near Hamilton. Having been regularly trained to the profession of a gardener, he travelled to London in 1754, and became assistant to Philip Miller, then superintendent of the Chelsea Physic Garden...
) W.T.AitonWilliam Townsend AitonWilliam Townsend Aiton was a Scottish botanist.He brought out a second and enlarged edition of the Hortus Kewensis in 1810–1813, a catalogue of the plants at Kew Gardens, the first edition of which was written by his father William Aiton...
–Spatterdock - Nuphar japonica DC.
- Nuphar luteaNuphar luteaNuphar lutea is an aquatic plant of the family Nymphaeaceae, native to temperate regions of Europe, northwest Africa, and western Asia.-Growth:...
(L.) Sm.James Edward SmithSir James Edward Smith was an English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society.Smith was born in Norwich in 1759, the son of a wealthy wool merchant. He displayed a precocious interest in the natural world...
– Yellow Water-lily - Nuphar microphylla (Pers.) FernaldMerritt Lyndon FernaldMerritt Lyndon Fernald was an American botanist. In his time he was regarded as the most respected scholar of the taxonomy and phytogeography of the vascular plant flora of temperate eastern North America. He published more than 850 scientific papers and wrote and edited the seventh and eighth...
- Nuphar polysepala Engelm.George EngelmannGeorge Engelmann, also known as Georg Engelmann, was a German-American botanist. He was instrumental in describing the flora of the west of North America, then very poorly-known; he was particularly active in the Rocky Mountains and northern Mexico.-Origins:George Engelmann was born in Frankfurt...
- Nuphar pumilaNuphar pumilaNuphar pumila is an aquatic perennial plant from the Nymphaeaceae family. It is also known as Least or Dwarf Water Lily because it is the dwarf species of Nupar lutea; while Nupar lutea has a star- shaped form of the stigma disc and glabrous leaf undersides, Nupar pumila has a round stigma disc...
(TimmJoachim Christian TimmJoachim Christian Timm was an apothecary, mayor of Malchin, and a botanist with a particular interest in cryptograms. This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation Timm when citing a botanical name.-Life:Joachim Christian Timm was the son of a tobacconist, Matthias Ernst Timm...
) DC. – Least Water-lily - Nuphar saggitifolia (WalterThomas Walter (botanist)Thomas Walter was a British-born American botanist. He is best known for his book Flora Caroliniana , an early yet fairly complete catalog of the flowering plants of South Carolina.-References:...
) PurshFrederick Traugott PurshFrederick Traugott Pursh was a German-American botanist.Born in Grossenhain, Saxony, to the name Friedrich Traugott Pursh, he was educated at Dresden Botanical Gardens, and emigrated to the United States in 1799... - Nuphar variegataNuphar variegataNuphar variegata is a plant in the water lily family, Nymphaeaceae. It is native to much of Canada and the northernmost United States.-Description:...
Engelm. ex DurandElias DurandElias Durand , born Élie Magloire Durand, was an eminent American pharmacist and botanist born in France....
– Variegated Pond-lily
Hybrids
- Nuphar × rubrodisca Morong (N. microphylla × N. variegata)
- Nuphar × saijoensis (Shimoda) Padgett (N. japonica × N. pumila)
- Nuphar × spenneriana Gaudin (N. lutea × N. pumila)
Ecology
Nuphar species occur in ponds, lakes, and slow-moving rivers, growing in water up to 5 metres deep; different species show adaptation to either nutrient-rich waters (e.g. N. lutea) or nutrient-poor waters (e.g. N. pumila).Alkaloid
Alkaloid
Alkaloids are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds that contain mostly basic nitrogen atoms. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Also some synthetic compounds of similar structure are attributed to alkaloids...
s in the genus include nupharolutine, nuphamine and nupharidine.
Etymology
The etymology of the word is: medieval LatinMedieval Latin
Medieval Latin was the form of Latin used in the Middle Ages, primarily as a medium of scholarly exchange and as the liturgical language of the medieval Roman Catholic Church, but also as a language of science, literature, law, and administration. Despite the clerical origin of many of its authors,...
nuphar, from medieval Latin nenuphar, thence from Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
nīnūfar, thence from Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
nīlūfar, thence from Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
nīlōtpala = blue lotus flower. For botanical gender, the name is treated as feminine.