Nuphar is a genus of aquatic plants 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, alligator-bonnet or bonnet lily, and spatterdock (North American species).
Description
Nuphar species are aquatic, perennial, heterophyllous herbs growing from branching rhizomes,Nuphar Smith. (n.d.). Flora of China @ efloras.org. Retrieved November 27, 2024, from http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=122507 which are not stoloniferous. The rhizomes bear conspicuous leaf scars. The adventitious roots grow underneath and at the side of the rhizome. The leaves can be submerged, floating, or emergent. Their lamina can be ovate, elliptic, orbicular, linear, obovate, or lanceolate. The lamina has an entire margin, but it can be crisped in submerged leaves. The long, flattened, winged, or cylindrical petioles can be pubescent or glabrous.
The flowers are solitary, subglobose, diurnal, pedunculate, floating or emergent, with glabrous to pubescent peduncles. The flowers usually have 5–9 (but up to 12) persistent sepals, which are yellow, green or red and oblong, obovate or orbiculate. The numerous, oblong to spathulate petals are inconspicuous and hidden by the sepals. The yellow or red stamens with strap-like filaments are recurved at dehiscence. The monocolpate pollen grainsManaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. (n.d.). Nuphar Sm. Flora of New Zealand. Retrieved November 27, 2024, from https://www.nzflora.info/factsheet/Taxon/Nuphar.html are 40–71 μm long and 30.4–60 μm wide. The gynoecium consists of 4–36 fused carpels. The fruit is wide, ovoid to urceolate, borne on straight peduncles, and bears smooth, exarillate seeds up to long.
Taxonomy
The genus Nuphar was published by James Edward Smith in 1809.Sibthorp, John, & Smith, James Edward. (1806). Florae Graecae prodromus; sive Plantarum omnium enumeratio (Vol. 1, p. 361). Typis Richardi Taylor, veneunt apud J. White. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6114770 The type species is Nuphar lutea Nuphar Sm. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved November 27, 2024, from https://www.ipni.org/n/331808-2 The genus Nuphar has several synonyms: Nymphona published by Pietro Bubani in 1901, Nenuphar published by Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link in 1822, Nymphozanthus published by Louis Claude Marie Richard in 1808, and Ropalon published by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1837. The genus has been divided into two sections: the autonymous section Nuphar sect. Nuphar with Nuphar lutea as the type species, as well as the section Nuphar sect. Astylus published by Donald Jay Padgett in 1999 with Nuphar advena as the type species.Nuphar sect. Astylus Padgett. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved November 27, 2024, from https://www.ipni.org/n/318884-2Padgett, D. J. (1999). Nomenclatural novelties in Nuphar (Nymphaeaceae). Sida, Contributions to Botany, 823-826.
The number of species in the genus is still under review.The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Published on the Internet; http://www.theplantlist.org/ (accessed February 2016) Until the mid-20th century, some botanists treated the genus as just a single variable species (for which the European N. lutea has priority), while some other authorities accepted about a dozen more species on the basis of traditional taxonomic standards. Recent molecular work has shown that there are substantial differences between the Eurasian species (sect. Nuphar) and American species (sect. Astylus), except for North American N. microphylla which clusters with the Eurasian species. Molecular taxonomy has shown conclusively that recognition of so few species is out of the question, and forced an increased number of recognised species; some sources list about seventy. The Kew Gardens plant list includes over twenty accepted species, subspecies and varieties; it also has a similar number as yet unresolved, together with over twenty synonyms.
Species Nuphar sect. Astylus Nuphar advena (Aiton) W.T.Aiton – Spatterdock †Nuphar carlquistii DeVore, Taylor, & Pigg Nuphar polysepala Engelm. – Wocus Nuphar sagittifolia (Walter) Pursh Nuphar variegata Engelm. ex Durand – Variegated pond-lily
Nuphar sect. Nuphar (autonym) Nuphar japonica DC. Nuphar lutea (L.) Sm. – Yellow water-lily (type species) Nuphar microphylla Nuphar pumila (Timm) DC. – Least water-lily
There also are several interspecific hybrids: Nuphar × fluminalis Shiga & Kadono is a natural hybrid of Nuphar japonica and Nuphar submersa Nuphar × porphyranthera Lansdown & Ruhsam is a hybrid of Nuphar advena and Nuphar lutea Nuphar × rubrodisca Morong is a natural hybrid of Nuphar microphylla and Nuphar variegata Nuphar × saijoensis (Shimoda) Padgett & Shimoda is a natural hybrid of Nuphar japonica and Nuphar pumila Nuphar × spenneriana Gaudin is a natural hybrid of Nuphar lutea and Nuphar pumila
Additional species include: Nuphar oguraensis Miki Nuphar orbiculata (Small) Standl. Nuphar ozarkana (G.S.Mill. & Standl.) Standl. Nuphar saikokuensis Shiga & Kadono Nuphar subintegerrima (Casp.) Makino Nuphar submersa Shiga & Kadono Nuphar ulvacea (G.S.Mill. & Standl.) Standl.
Fossil taxa
Numerous fossil species have been described:
†Nuphar aculeata Kuprian.Nuphar aculeata Kuprian. (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=5E2B4E1B-D364-4666-AE21-0E6C756D3914 †Nuphar adveniformis P.I. Dorof.Nuphar adveniformis P.I. Dorof. (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=B69485B8-E533-4951-830B-1EB18D46AA3F †Nuphar akashiensis MikiNuphar akashiensis Miki (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=6D456C3B-57F1-42A1-9942-82806F675AC2 †Nuphar bohlinii R.W. ChaneyNuphar bohlinii R.W. Chaney (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=BCC19C7C-26F5-4A26-8864-9AF16C74AFFF †Nuphar burejensis KrassilovNuphar burejensis Krassilov (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=4D0263DE-018E-4D88-8E71-B820485990DD †Nuphar canaliculata C. Reid, E. ReidNuphar canaliculata C. Reid, E. Reid (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=05E0491C-B308-4DB6-BCC8-3618EDEBE98D †Nuphar carlquistii DeVore, Wi. Taylor, Pigg †Nuphar diatoma (MacGinitie) DoweldNuphar diatoma (MacGinitie) Doweld (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=497C5B4F-2748-F46A-B92C-AEA9D4086609 †Nuphar dubia (Watelet) BureauNuphar dubia (Watelet) Bureau (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=0142749C-6BA3-8DB9-C59A-F0C6F3368D7F †Nuphar ebae HuziokaNuphar ebae Huzioka (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=88920905-0B97-D86A-C550-46E6134E5198 †Nuphar hungarica Andr., E. NovákNuphar hungarica Andr., E. Novák (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=A75B0025-EDC8-7686-2411-616F4759EFE8 †Nuphar macrosperma P.I. Dorof.Nuphar macrosperma P.I. Dorof. (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=5599D729-713E-4969-B37B-CBCD33E10FEA †Nuphar mozyrensis P.I. Dorof.Nuphar mozyrensis P.I. Dorof. (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=7525F5AF-3D45-4032-9397-D83AEF8D1C10 †Nuphar ovata M. ChandlerNuphar ovata M. Chandler (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=240C2D4D-B06F-48C5-B703-FBF969083DEC †Nuphar palfalvyana DoweldNuphar palfalvyana Doweld (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=DF39C62F-2C55-3968-1531-BCAAA5C7E805 †Nuphar parva LubomirovaNuphar parva Lubomirova (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=EB24149A-8104-4372-928E-F95231885F8E †Nuphar pliocenica P.I. Dorof.Nuphar pliocenica P.I. Dorof. (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=9F67EBC6-48F2-4A90-B03B-5EE860242826 †Nuphar sibirica P.I. Dorof.Nuphar sibirica P.I. Dorof. (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=B942BFFE-E35C-4551-90EB-58016406B561 †Nuphar tanaitica P.I. Dorof.Nuphar tanaitica P.I. Dorof. (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=1726932A-DD54-4822-936D-77279A3AF35E †Nuphar tastachensis P.I. Dorof.Nuphar tastachensis P.I. Dorof. (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=52FCFCBC-DC4F-4FE9-A27C-7A13ACA849D6 †Nuphar tavdensis P.I. Dorof.Nuphar tavdensis P.I. Dorof. (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=3FAC90AB-5751-461E-828B-47EFC705BD04 †Nuphar tomskiana P.I. Dorof.Nuphar tomskiana P.I. Dorof. (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=9A2ACDA3-1D63-47B1-859C-18CC7ABDC8A1 †Nuphar tymensis P.I. Dorof.Nuphar tymensis P.I. Dorof. (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=674D9647-B47C-49E3-ACBE-C2C4931B06D3 †Nuphar wutuensis L. Chen, Manchester, Z.-D. ChenNuphar wutuensis L. Chen, Manchester, Z.-D. Chen (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved November 29, 2024, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=1EE87368-D57A-4BE2-84AE-B026F8CE0213
Related taxa In 2017, the abundant fossilized seeds of a water lily, known as Notonuphar, were identified in the Eocene-aged La Meseta Formation of Seymour Island, Antarctica. The seed anatomy of Notonuphar closely resembles that of Nuphar, and for this reason, both are thought to be sister genera. Notonuphar is the first relative of Nuphar known to have inhabited Gondwana, and the wide geographic separation of both genera (Notonuphar inhabited Antarctica, while all extant and extinct Nuphar species are known from the Northern Hemisphere) supports the modern range of Nuphar being a relict distribution.
Etymology The etymology of the word is: medieval Latin nuphar, from medieval Latin nenuphar, thence from Arabic nīnūfar, thence from Persian nīlūfar, thence from Sanskrit nīlōtpala = blue lotus flower.Etymology of Nuphar, same as French Nenuphar (in French). For botanical gender, the name is treated as feminine.
Habitat Nuphar species occur in ponds, lakes, and slow-moving rivers, growing in water up to deep; different species are variously adapted either to nutrient-rich waters (e.g. N. lutea) or nutrient-poor waters (e.g. N. pumila).Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). Flora of Britain and Northern Europe.