The World Flora Online

SELECTED REFERENCES

Schneider, E. L. 1979. Pollination biology of the Nymphaeaceae. In: D. M. Caron, ed. 1979. Increasing Production of Agricultural Crops through Increased Insect Pollination: Proceedings of the IVth International Symposium on Pollination. College Park, Md. Pp. 419-429. [Maryland Agric. Exp. Sta. Special Misc. Publ. 1.] Wood, C. E. Jr. 1959. The genera of the Nymphaeaceae and Ceratophyllaceae in the southeastern United States. J. Arnold Arbor. 40: 94-112.

Herbs , perennial, aquatic, rhizomatous; roots adventitious; air chambers conspicuous in vegetative portions of plant. Rhizomes branched or unbranched, erect or repent, tuberous-thickened, sometimes bearing stolons. Leaves arising directly from rhizome, alternate, floating, submersed, or emersed; stipules present or absent; petioles long. Leaf blade lanceolate to ovate or orbiculate, with basal sinus [peltate], margins entire to spinose-dentate. Inflorescences axillary or extra-axillary, flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual, protogynous [homogamous in some species of Nymphaea], diurnal or nocturnal, borne at or above water surface, occasionally submersed; peduncle long; involucre absent; perianth often persistent in fruit, hypogynous to perigynous [epigynous]; sepals usually (4-)5-12, distinct; petals numerous [rarely absent], often transitional to stamens; stamens numerous; filaments broad to slender; anthers dehiscing by longitudinal slits, with or without connective appendage; pistil 1, 3-35-carpellate and -locular; placentation laminar; ovules numerous per locule; stigma sessile, radiate on stigmatic disk. Fruits berrylike, indehiscent or irregularly dehiscent. Seeds several-numerous; aril present or absent; endosperm sparse; perisperm abundant; embryo minute; cotyledons 2, fleshy.

Herbes rhizomateuses aquatiques, pérennes ou parfois annuelles. Feuilles alternes, peltées ou non, pétiolées; stipules présentes ou absentes; limbe simple, linéaire, sagitté, cordé ou orbiculaire, flottant, émergent ou submergé, marges entières ou légèrement ondulées à dentées; nervation palmée ou pennée. Fleurs axillaires à extra-axillaires, solitaires, actinomorphes, hermaphrodites, pédicellées (souvent très longuement), généralement émergées; sépales 4-6(-12), vert à pétaloïdes; pétales 0-70, de taille décroissante centripète; étamines 14-200, libres, pétaloïdes ou laminaires ou filamenteuses, anthères introrses, déhiscentes en fentes longitudinales; ovaire hypogyne à épigyne, multiloculaire, carpelles 3-35, partiellement fusionnés à syncarpe, placentation pariétale, ovules 10 ou plus par carpelle; stigmates sessiles ou styles modifiés en des extensions ± proéminentes appelées appendices carpellaires. Fruit charnu, une baie ou schizocarpe, déhiscents ou non. Graines nombreuses, ovoïdes à subovoïdes, operculées, le plus souvent arillées; embryon petit, à 1 ou 2 cotylédons épais, hémisphériques et charnus.

Herbes'aquatiques fixées, à tige le plus souvent réduite à un court rhizome émettant les feuilles et les fleurs (plus rarement ramifiée et à entre-nœuds normaux).'Feuilles'en général entières et souvent très grandes, scutiformes, cordifUrmes ou orbiculaires et ± peltées, les premières submergées, puis flottantes ou même émergées (rarement disséquées, à segments filiformes et alors submergées).'Fleurs'pédonculées, solitaires, grandes, rarement petites, actinomorphes et en général, en partie au moins, spiralées, hypo- péri- ou épigynes; sépales 4 (rarement plus, ou 3); pétales très nombreux, rarement 3; étamines 20 à 200, rarement moins; gynécée supère ou seMi-infère, à carpelles en général nombreux et soudés; ovules en général anatropes et très nombreux.'Fruit'± charnu, se déchirant irrégulièrement à maturité, rarement akène ou follicule.'Graines albuminées.\n\t\t\tHuit genres et environ 100 espèces surtout tropicales, 1 genre et 10 espèces au Congo belge.

Fruit many-celled, indehiscent, fleshy Seeds often arillate; endosperm copious; embryo minute, with thick cotyledons Anthers introrse, often flattened or petaloid, opening by a longitudinal slit Carpels 8 or more, free and immersed in the receptacle or more or less united into an ovary of as many cells, inferior or semi-inferior Receptacle large, fleshy, surrounding the ovary and with the petals and stamens inserted on its side Ovules numerous, attached to the sides of the dissepiments Aquatic herbs with peltate or cordate leaves arising from a submerged prostrate rhizome Flowers solitary, large and showy, often sweet-scented Sepals 4–6, free or adherent to the receptacle Petals numerous, imbricate, sometimes gradually passing into stamens Seeds often arillate; endosperm copious; embryo minute, with thick cotyledons Anthers introrse, often flattened or petaloid, opening by a longitudinal slit Carpels 8 or more, free and immersed in the receptacle or more or less united into an ovary of as many cells, inferior or semi-inferior Receptacle large, fleshy, surrounding the ovary and with the petals and stamens inserted on its side Ovules numerous, attached to the sides of the dissepiments Aquatic herbs with peltate or cordate leaves arising from a submerged prostrate rhizome Flowers solitary, large and showy, often sweet-scented Sepals 4–6, free or adherent to the receptacle Petals numerous, imbricate, sometimes gradually passing into stamens

A small family found in both temperate and tropical regions of both hemispheres

Sepals 4–6 Petals (6–10) numerous, some occasionally ± sepaloid Stamens numerous, hypo- or perigynous; anthers introrse, dehiscing by longitudinal slits Carpels (6–10) numerous, immersed in the torus; ovules 1 or numerous in each carpel, pendulous from the walls or apex of the carpel; styles free Aquatic rhizomatous herbs rooted in the ground Leaves petiolate, exstipulate, floating, emergent or rarely submerged, usually ± peltate, vernation involute Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, solitary, large and handsome, pedunculate, floating, emergent or rarely submerged Seeds with fleshy arils Fruit fleshy or spongy Petals (6–10) numerous, some occasionally ± sepaloid Stamens numerous, hypo- or perigynous; anthers introrse, dehiscing by longitudinal slits Carpels (6–10) numerous, immersed in the torus; ovules 1 or numerous in each carpel, pendulous from the walls or apex of the carpel; styles free Aquatic rhizomatous herbs rooted in the ground Leaves petiolate, exstipulate, floating, emergent or rarely submerged, usually ± peltate, vernation involute Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, solitary, large and handsome, pedunculate, floating, emergent or rarely submerged Seeds with fleshy arils Fruit fleshy or spongy

Fls perfect, regular, hypogynous to perigynous or epigynous; sep 4–5, sometimes petaloid; pet 8–many, distinct in ours, often passing into the stamens; stamens numerous, spirally arranged; filament not strongly differentiated from the connective and anther, the elongate pollen-sacs embedded in the adaxial side of the long, flat, usually narrow staminal blade; pollen monosulcate; gynoecium of 5–35 carpels ± firmly united into a compound, plurilocular, superior to inferior ovary that is apically constricted beneath an expanded disk bearing as many radiant stigmatic lines as the number of locules; ovules numerous, laminar, fr an irregularly dehiscent, spongy to leathery berry; seeds small, with small, dicotyledonous embryo, rather scanty endosperm, and copious perisperm; pls aquatic; lvs arising directly from the rhizome, alternate, long-petiolate, with cordate or hastate to peltate, floating to sometimes emergent or wholly submerged blade; fls borne singly at or just above the surface of the water on long, stout peduncles arising from the rhizome. 5/50.

Aquatic rhizomatous herbs rooted in the bottom mud Leaves mostly floating, emergent or sometimes submerged, petiolate (petioles often very long), usually ± peltate and with involute vernation; stipules present or absent Flowers regular, hermaphrodite, solitary, usually large and showy, often scented, mostly long-pedunculate, floating, emergent or rarely submerged Sepals 4–6, free or adnate to the torus Petals 6–10 or numerous or even absent, hypogynous or perigynous, imbricate, sometimes gradually passing into the stamens Stamens numerous; anthers opening by longitudinal slits, introrse or latrorse, the connective often produced Carpels (6–10–)numerous, immersed in the torus or united into a 3–5- or many-locular ovary; ovules 1–numerous per carpel, pendulous from the walls or apex; styles free, short, or stigmas radiating, sessile on central boss of ovary and also sometimes with marginal stylar processes Fruit fleshy or spongy Seeds often with fleshy arils and usually with endosperm and/or perisperm (absent in Nelumbo) Leaves mostly floating, emergent or sometimes submerged, petiolate (petioles often very long), usually ± peltate and with involute vernation; stipules present or absent Flowers regular, hermaphrodite, solitary, usually large and showy, often scented, mostly long-pedunculate, floating, emergent or rarely submerged Sepals 4–6, free or adnate to the torus Petals 6–10 or numerous or even absent, hypogynous or perigynous, imbricate, sometimes gradually passing into the stamens Stamens numerous; anthers opening by longitudinal slits, introrse or latrorse, the connective often produced Carpels (6–10–)numerous, immersed in the torus or united into a 3–5- or many-locular ovary; ovules 1–numerous per carpel, pendulous from the walls or apex; styles free, short, or stigmas radiating, sessile on central boss of ovary and also sometimes with marginal stylar processes Fruit fleshy or spongy Seeds often with fleshy arils and usually with endosperm and/or perisperm (absent in Nelumbo)

Herbs perennial or rarely annual, aquatic. Stems rhizomatous; rhizomes erect or repent, branched or unbranched. Leaves arising from rhizome, simple, alternate, floating, emersed, or submersed, long petiolate but short petiolate on submersed vernal ones; leaf blade undivided, usually with a basal sinus, often peltate. Flowers solitary, axillary, long pedunculate, bisexual, hypogynous to epigynous, actinomorphic, entomophilous, mostly emergent. Sepals 4--7, usually green, occasionally petaloid. Petals numerous (rarely absent), distinct, usually showy, often transitional to stamens. Stamens numerous; anthers introrse, dehiscent by longitudinal slits; connective sometimes appendaged. Pistil 1, compound; carpels 5--many, partially or completely united, surrounding a sometimes projecting floral axis. Ovary multilocular; placentation laminar; ovules numerous. Styles absent or modified into abaxially projecting carpellary appendages. Stigmas radiate on distal surface, often disclike. Fruit berrylike, many seeded, irregularly dehiscent. Seeds mostly arillate; endosperm little, perisperm abundant; embryo small; cotyledons 2, fleshy.