Nymphaea mexicana
Nymphaea capensis
banana water-lily, herbe au coeur, Mexican water lily, yellow or banana waterlily, yellow water-lily
Cape blue water-lily
unbranched, erect, cylindric;
stolons elongate, spongy, developing clusters of curved, fleshy, overwintering roots resembling tiny bananas at terminal nodes.
unbranched, erect, ovoid;
stolons absent.
blade abaxially purplish with dark flecks, adaxially green, often with brown mottling, ovate to elliptic or nearly orbiculate, 7-18(-27) × 7-14(-18) cm, margins entire or sinuate;
venation radiate and impressed centrally, without weblike pattern, principal veins 11-22;
surfaces glabrous.
blade abaxially suffused with maroon, adaxially green, ovate to orbiculate, to 35(-40) × 30 cm, margins sinuate to almost dentate;
venation radiate and somewhat impressed centrally, without weblike pattern, principal veins mostly 20-25;
surfaces glabrous.
floating or emersed, 6-11 cm diam., opening and closing diurnally, only sepals and outermost petals in distinct whorls of 4;
sepals uniformly yellowish green, often red-tinted, evidently veined, lines of insertion on receptacle often slightly prominent;
petals 12-30, yellow;
stamens ca. 50-60, yellow, connective appendage minute or absent;
filaments widest below middle, longer than anthers;
pistil 7-10-locular, appendages at margin of stigmatic disk oblong-tapered, to 4.5 mm.
emersed, ca. 7-8 cm diam., opening and closing diurnally, only sepals and outermost petals in distinct whorls of 4;
sepals green, shaded abaxially with reddish brown, margins purplish, evidently veined, lines of insertion on receptacle not prominent;
petals 12-24, blue, lavender, or purple;
stamens 100-200, colored as petals toward apex, outer with connective appendage projecting to 4-5 mm or more beyond anther;
filaments widest above middle, shorter than anthers;
pistil 15-31-locular, appendages at margin of stigmatic disk tapered, to 3 mm.
globose, ca. 5 × 5 mm, uniformly covered with hairlike papillae 100-220 µm. 2n = 56.
ellipsoid, ca. 1.5 × 1 mm, ca. 1.4-1.8 times as long as broad, with longitudinal rows of hairlike papillae.
Nymphaea mexicana
Nymphaea capensis
Nymphaea mexicana is probably introduced in most inland sites and in California, where it is considered a problematic weed in waterways; it is not common in most states except Florida. The distribution of this species is similar to that of the winter distribution of canvasback ducks, for which the bananalike tubers are an important food (J. E. Cely 1979). This species forms natural hybrids with N. odorata; the hybrids have been named N. ×thiona D. B. Ward (D. B. Ward 1977). Except for stem characteristics, which resemble one or the other parent, and their added vigor, the hybrids are generally intermediate in morphology. They are completely sterile; however, hybrids with the stolon-bearing habit of N. mexicana can form extensive clones and, although somewhat larger in stature than N. mexicana, they closely resemble that less agressive parent and could easily be mistaken for it. Some of the introductions, such as in southeastern Nevada and north-central Kentucky, are clearly this hybrid.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
The Florida introductions probably represent Nymphaea capensis var. zanzibariensis (Caspary) Conard, which B. Verdcourt (1989), in combining African and Asian plants into a single species with several varieties, has recently treated as N. nouchali N. L. Burman var. zanzibariensis (Caspary) Verdcourt. His interpretation of the type of N. capensis, differing from that of previous workers, should be further studied. The traditional view is retained here.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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