Nymphoides
Encyclopedia
Nymphoides is a genus
of aquatic flowering plant
s in the family Menyanthaceae
. The genus name refers to their resemblance to the water lily Nymphaea
. Nymphoides are aquatic plants with submerged roots and floating leaves
that hold the small flower
s above the water surface. Flower
s are sympetalous, most often divided into five lobes (petals). The petals are either yellow or white, and may be adorned with lateral wings or covered in small hairs. The inflorescence
consists of either an umbel
late cluster of flowers or a lax raceme
, with internodes occurring between generally paired flowers.
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Species of Nymphoides are sold as aquarium plants, including the "banana plant", N. aquatica
and the "water snowflake", N. indica. Species native to the United States are N. cordata in the northeast and N. aquatica
in the southeast. Nymphoides peltata
is native to Europe and Asia, but can be found in the United States as an invasive
aquatic weed. The non-native species N. cristata
and N. indica also reportedly occur in Florida (Jacono 2000).
Numerous species of Nymphoides grow in Australia, and others exist in Africa, America, and Asia.
Species
There are approximately 50 species of Nymphoides, including:
Pantropical
:
Africa:
North America:
Central and South America:
Eurasia:
Asia:
Asia and Australia:
Australia:
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...
of aquatic flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the family Menyanthaceae
Menyanthaceae
Menyanthaceae are a family of aquatic and wetland plants in the order Asterales. There are approximately 60-70 species in five genera distributed worldwide. The simple or compound leaves arise alternately from a creeping rhizome. In the submersed aquatic genus Nymphoides, leaves are floating and...
. The genus name refers to their resemblance to the water lily 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....
. Nymphoides are aquatic plants with submerged roots and floating 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....
that hold the small flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s above the water surface. Flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are sympetalous, most often divided into five lobes (petals). The petals are either yellow or white, and may be adorned with lateral wings or covered in small hairs. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
consists of either an umbel
Umbel
An umbel is an inflorescence which consists of a number of short flower stalks which are equal in length and spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs....
late cluster of flowers or a lax raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
, with internodes occurring between generally paired flowers.
Nymphoides aquatica
-Common names:The Nymphoides aquatica is known variously as the Banana Plant, Banana Lilly, and the Big Floating Heart. It is most commonly called the Banana Plant because of its banana shaped roots. These unusual roots store nutrients.-Origins:...
and the "water snowflake", N. indica. Species native to the United States are N. cordata in the northeast and N. aquatica
Nymphoides aquatica
-Common names:The Nymphoides aquatica is known variously as the Banana Plant, Banana Lilly, and the Big Floating Heart. It is most commonly called the Banana Plant because of its banana shaped roots. These unusual roots store nutrients.-Origins:...
in the southeast. Nymphoides peltata
Nymphoides peltata
Nymphoides peltata is an aquatic plant of the family Menyanthaceae native to Eurasia. It has cordate floating leaves that support a lax inflorescence of yellow flowers with fringed petal margins...
is native to Europe and Asia, but can be found in the United States as an invasive
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
aquatic weed. The non-native species N. cristata
Nymphoides cristata
Nymphoides cristata is an aquatic plant of the family Menyanthaceae native to Asia. It has cordate floating leaves edged with variegated purple veins that support a dainty inflorescence of white flowers. Flowers of N. cristata are gynodioecious...
and N. indica also reportedly occur in Florida (Jacono 2000).
Numerous species of Nymphoides grow in Australia, and others exist in Africa, America, and Asia.
Species
There are approximately 50 species of Nymphoides, including:
Pantropical
Pantropical
In biogeography, a pantropical distribution one which covers tropical regions of all of the major continents, i.e. in Africa, in Asia and in the Americas. Examples include the plant genera Acacia and Bacopa....
:
- Nymphoides indica (L.) Kuntze
Africa:
- Nymphoides bosseri A.Raynal
- Nymphoides brevipedicellata (Vatke) A.Raynal
- Nymphoides elegans A.Raynal
- Nymphoides ezannoi Berhaut
- Nymphoides forbesiana (Griseb.) Kuntze
- Nymphoides guineensis A.Raynal
- Nymphoides humilis A.Raynal
- Nymphoides milnei A.Raynal
- Nymphoides moratiana A.Raynal
- Nymphoides rautaneni (N.E.Br.) A.Raynal
- Nymphoides tenuissima A.Raynal
- Nymphoides thunbergiana (Griseb.) Kuntze
North America:
- Nymphoides aquaticaNymphoides aquatica-Common names:The Nymphoides aquatica is known variously as the Banana Plant, Banana Lilly, and the Big Floating Heart. It is most commonly called the Banana Plant because of its banana shaped roots. These unusual roots store nutrients.-Origins:...
(J.F.Gmel.) Kuntze - Nymphoides cordata (Elliott) Fernald
Central and South America:
- Nymphoides fallax Ornduff
- Nymphoides flaccida L.Sm.
- Nymphoides grayana (Griseb.) Kuntze
- Nymphoides herzogii A.Galàn-Mera & G.Navarro
- Nymphoides humboldtiana (Kunth) Kuntze
- Nymphoides microphylla (A.St.-Hil.) Kuntze
- Nymphoides verrucosa (R.E.Fries)A.Galàn-Mera & G.Navarro
Eurasia:
- Nymphoides peltataNymphoides peltataNymphoides peltata is an aquatic plant of the family Menyanthaceae native to Eurasia. It has cordate floating leaves that support a lax inflorescence of yellow flowers with fringed petal margins...
(S.G.Gmel.) Kuntze
Asia:
- Nymphoides coreana (Léveille) Hara
- Nymphoides hastata (Dop) Kerr
- Nymphoides hydrophylla (Lour.) Kuntze
- Nymphoides krishnakesara K.T.Joseph & Sivar.
- Nymphoides lungtanensis S.P.Li, T.H.Hsieh & C.C.Lin
- Nymphoides macrosperma Vasudevan
- Nymphoides siamensis (Ostenf.) Kerr
- Nymphoides sivarajanii K.T.Joseph
- Nymphoides tonkinensis (Dop) P.H.Ho
Asia and Australia:
- Nymphoides aurantiaca (Dalzell) Kuntze
- Nymphoides parvifolia (Wall.) Kuntze
Australia:
- Nymphoides beaglensis Aston
- Nymphoides crenata (F.Muell.) Kuntze
- Nymphoides disperma Aston
- Nymphoides elliptica Aston
- Nymphoides exigua (F.Muell.) Kuntze
- Nymphoides exiliflora (F.Muell.) Kuntze
- Nymphoides furculifolia Specht
- Nymphoides geminata (R.Br.) Kuntze
- Nymphoides hydrocharioides (F.Muell.) Kuntze
- Nymphoides montana Aston
- Nymphoides planosperma Aston
- Nymphoides quadriloba Aston
- Nymphoides simulans Aston
- Nymphoides spinulosperma Aston
- Nymphoides spongiosa Aston
- Nymphoides stygia (J.M.Black) H.Eichler
- Nymphoides subacuta Aston
- Nymphoides triangularis Aston