Nymphaea macrosperma is an aquatic annual or perennial flowering plant in the family Nymphaeaceae. It is native to Australia and New Guinea.Missouri Botanical Garden. (n.d.-f). Nymphaea macrosperma Merr. & L.M. Perry. Tropicos. Retrieved December 2, 2024, from http://legacy.tropicos.org/Name/50265123
Description Vegetative characteristics Nymphaea macrosperma is an aquatic annual or rhizomatous herbaceous perennial,Northern Territory Government. (n.d.). Nymphaea macrosperma Merr. & L.M.Perry. FloraNT. Retrieved December 2, 2024, from https://eflora.nt.gov.au/factsheet?id=3999 with rounded rhizomes that lack stolons.S.W.L. Jacobs & C.L. Porter. Nymphaea macrosperma, in (ed.), Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Nymphaea%20macrosperma [Date Accessed: 03 December 2024] The glabrous, orbicular, elliptic or suborbicular leaves with a dentate margin are 17–38 cm long, and 15–31 cm wide. The abaxial leaf surface has a strong midrib and 6 palmately arranged primary veins, which are reticulate towards the leaf margin. The petioles are up to 2.5 m long, and 2-4 mm wide.
Generative characteristics The 6–7 cm wide, diurnal flowers extend above the water surface.Breukel, H. (n.d.). Nymphaea macrosperma Merr. & L.M. Perry. Seerosenforum.de Das Portal Der Seerose. Retrieved February 1, 2024, from https://www.seerosenforum.de/gattung/Anecphya/Macrosperma/Macrosperma.aspx The four oblong sepals with a rounded apex are 25-55 mm long, and 9-25 mm wide. The 10–18(–22) white, blue, or purple, oblanceolate to spathulate petals have an obtuse apex. There is a conspicuous gap between petals and stamens. The androecium consists of 150–200 stamens. The gynoecium consists of 10–13 carpels. The 4 cm wide fruit bears oblong to ovoid, hairy, 3–4.5 mm long, and 2–3 mm wide seeds.
Taxonomy Publication It was published by Elmer Drew Merrill and Lily May Perry in 1942.Merrill, Elmer D., & Perry, Lily M. (1942). Plantae Papuanae Archboldianae, X. Journal of the Arnold Arboretum, 23(4), 383--416. https://doi.org/10.5962/p.185463 In the same publication, the species was described a second time as Nymphaea dictyophlebia , which is a synonym of Nymphaea macrosperma .Jacobs, S. W. L. (1992). "New species, lectotypes and synonyms of Australasian Nymphaea (Nymphaeaceae)." Telopea, 4(4), 635-641. Type specimen The type specimen was collected by LJ Brass in Lake Daviumbu, New Guinea (British New Guinea) in August 1936.Type of Nymphaea macrosperma Merr. & L.M.Perry [family NYMPHAEACEAE]. (n.d.). JSTOR. Retrieved February 1, 2024, from https://plants.jstor.org/stable/10.5555/al.ap.specimen.l0038664 Position within Nymphaea It is placed in Nymphaea subgenus Anecphya.Löhne, C., Borsch, T., Jacobs, S. W., Hellquist, C. B., & Wiersema, J. H. (2008). "Nuclear and plastid DNA sequences reveal complex reticulate patterns in Australian water-lilies (Nymphaea subgenus Anecphya, Nymphaeaceae)." Australian Systematic Botany, 21(4), 229-250.
Etymology The specific epithet macrosperma means large-seeded.Crataegus macrosperma (large-seeded hawthorn): Go Botany. (n.d.). Native Plant Trust. Retrieved February 1, 2024, from https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/crataegus/macrosperma/Bayton, R. (2020). Practical Uses of Botanical Latin. In The Gardener's Botanical: An Encyclopedia of Latin Plant Names - with More than 5,000 Entries (pp. 22-318). Princeton: Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691209135-007
Ecology Habitat It occurs in up to 2.5 m deep stagnant or flowing water in lagoons, swamps, billabongs, and drainage channels on clay substrates. It can occur in slightly brackish water.
Conservation The NCA status of Nymphaea macrosperma is Special Least Concern (SL). Under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, it is classified as Not threatened.Western Australian Herbarium & Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. (n.d.-b). Nymphaea macrosperma Merr. & L.M.Perry. Florabase—the Western Australian Flora. Retrieved December 2, 2024, from https://florabase.dbca.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/19830
Uses The plant is a traditional Aboriginal bushfood. The seeds are usually described as "sweet like a pea" and are eaten for lunch.
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