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Rocky Mountain cowlily, Rocky Mountain pond-lily, spatterdock, wakas, yellow pond-lily

bullhead pond-lily, grand nénuphar jaune, spatterdock, variegated pond-lily, variegated yellow pond-lily, varigated yellow pond-lily, yellow pond-lily

Rhizomes

3-8 cm diam.

2.5-7 cm diam.

Leaves

blade abaxially and adaxially green, widely ovate, 10-40(-45) × 7-30 cm, ca. 1.2-1.5 times as long as wide, sinus 1/3-2/3 length of midrib, lobes divergent to overlapping;

surfaces glabrous.

blade abaxially and adaxially green, sometimes abaxially purple-tinged, broadly ovate to oblong, 7-35 5-25 cm, 1.2-1.6 times as long as wide, sinus 1/3-1/2 length of midrib, lobes approximate to overlapping;

surfaces glabrous.

Flowers

5-10 cm diam.;

sepals mostly (6-)9(-12), abaxially green to adaxially yellow, sometimes red-tinged toward base;

petals oblong, thick;

anthers 3.5-9 mm, slightly shorter than filaments.

2.5-5 cm diam.;

sepals mostly 6, abaxially green to yellow, adaxially usually with red or maroon toward base;

petals oblong, thick;

anthers 3-9 mm, longer than filaments.

Fruit

green to yellow, cylindric to ovoid, 4-6(-9) × 3.5-6 cm, strongly ribbed, slightly constricted below stigmatic disk;

stigmatic disk green, 20-35 mm diam., entire to crenate;

stigmatic rays 8-26(-36), linear to lanceolate, terminating within 1(-1.5) mm from margin of disk.

mostly purple-tinged, ovoid, 2-4.3 2-3.5 cm, strongly ribbed, slightly constricted below stigmatic disk;

stigmatic disk green, rarely reddened, 8-20 mm diam., entire to deeply crenate;

stigmatic rays 7-28, linear to narrowly lanceolate, terminating 0-1(-1.5) mm from margin of disk.

Seeds

3.5-5 mm.

2.5-5 mm.

2n

= 34.

= 34.

Nuphar polysepala

Nuphar variegata

Phenology Flowering spring (later in north)-summer. Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat Ponds, lakes, and sluggish streams Ponds, lakes, sluggish streams, and ditches
Elevation 0-3700 m (0-12100 ft) 0-2000 m (0-6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; BC; NT; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; DE; IA; ID; IL; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MT; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SD; VT; WI; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; SPM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Plants intermediate between Nuphar polysepala and N. variegata occur in eastern British Columbia.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Nuphar variegata is distinct throughout most of its range. The leaves are characteristically floating, being emergent only under low-water conditions. Intermediates between N. variegata and N. microphylla, probably of hybrid origin, are treated as N. rubrodisca. Some intergrading of characteristics occurs where the range overlaps with N. advena (E. O. Beal 1956). This can be observed in the mid-Atlantic region. Intermediates between N. variegata and N. polysepala occur in eastern British Columbia where the two species are sympatric. Authorship and typification of this name were discussed by E. G. Voss (1965).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Nymphaeaceae > Nuphar Nymphaeaceae > Nuphar
Sibling taxa
N. advena, N. microphylla, N. orbiculata, N. rubrodisca, N. sagittifolia, N. ulvacea, N. variegata
N. advena, N. microphylla, N. orbiculata, N. polysepala, N. rubrodisca, N. sagittifolia, N. ulvacea
Synonyms N. lutea subsp. polysepala, Nymphaea polysepala N. americana, N. fraterna, N. lutea subsp. variegata, Nymphaea americana, Nymphaea fraterna
Name authority Engelmann: Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis 2: 282. 1865 (as polysepalum) Durand: in G. W. Clinton, Rep. (Annual) Regents Univ. State New York State Cab. Nat. Hist. 19: 73. 1866 (as variegatum)
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