Nymphaea tenuinervia is a species of waterlily native to Colombia, Guyana and Brazil.
Description Vegetative characteristics Nymphaea tenuinervia is an aquatic herb. The ovoid rhizome is stoloniferous throughout the vegetative period.Wiersema, J. H. (1987). A monograph of Nymphaea subgenus Hydrocallis (Nymphaeaceae). Systematic Botany Monographs, 1-112. The heart-shaped to egg-shaped leaves have a firm texture and entire margins. The leaf blade is 21 cm long and 19 cm wide. The abaxial leaf surface features elongated round, small, black spots directed along their longitudinal axis toward the centre of the leaf blade. The petiole bears downward-facing trichomes towards its upper end.Henkel, F. (1907). "Das Buch Der Nymphaeaceen Oder Seerosengewächse" Von Fr. Henkel, F. Hehnelt und L. Dittmann. pp. 76-77. Deutschland: Friedrich Henkel. The leaf bears characteristic bifurcated (Y-shaped) trichosclereids in the mesophyll layer of the leaf.de Sousa, D. J. L., & Matias, L. Q. (2012). "SINOPSE DO GÊNERO Nymphaea L.(Nymphaeaceae) NO ESTADO DO CEARÁ." Revista Caatinga, 25(3), 72-78.Sousa, D. J. L. D., & Matias, L. Q. (2013). "A família Nymphaeaceae no estado do Ceará, Brasil." Rodriguésia, 64, 49-59. Generative characteristics
Nymphaea tenuinervia has protogynous flowers with nocturnal anthesis.de Lima, C. T., Machado, I. C., & Giulietti, A. M. (2021). "Nymphaeaceae of Brasil." Sitientibus série Ciências Biológicas, 21. The floral fragrance has been described as solvent-like. It is primarily composed of anisole, but also significantly smaller amounts of (methoxymethyl)benzene and butyl acetate.Maia, A. C. D., de Lima, C. T., Navarro, D. M. D. A. F., Chartier, M., Giulietti, A. M., & Machado, I. C. (2014). "The floral scents of Nymphaea subg. Hydrocallis (Nymphaeaceae), the New World night-blooming water lilies, and their relation with putative pollinators." Phytochemistry, 103, 67-75. The ovoid, granulose, pilose seeds feature trichomes arranged in continuous longitudinal lines.
Cytology The diploid chromosome count is 2n = 20. It has 8 large and 12 smaller chromosomes.Pellicer, J., Kelly, L. J., Magdalena, C., & Leitch, I. J. (2013). "Insights into the dynamics of genome size and chromosome evolution in the early diverging angiosperm lineage Nymphaeales (water lilies)." Genome, 56(8), 437-449.
Reproduction Vegetative reproduction In most populations vegetative reproduction through stolons plays a significant role in reproduction. Proliferating pseudanthia are absent.Pellegrini, M. O. O. & Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. (n.d.-c). Nymphaea tenerinervia Casp. Flora E Funga Do Brasil. Retrieved December 1, 2023, from https://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/FB10950 Generative reproduction Autogamy was not observed in this species, therefore a reliance on out-crossing for generative reproduction is likely.
Habitat In Brasil, it occurs in the Amazon rainforest, the central Brazilian savanna, and the Atlantic rainforest as aquatic vegetation.
Taxonomy Type specimen The type specimen was collected near Juazeiro in the St. Francisco river of Bahia, Brazil in April 1819.Conard, H. S. (2015). The Waterlilies: A Monograph of the Genus Nymphaea (Classic Reprint). p. 210. USA: FB&C Limited.
Placement within Nymphaea It is a member of Nymphaea subg. Hydrocallis.
Orthographic variants In the original description it was first named Nymphaea tenuinervia. However, in other parts of the publication it is spelled as Nymphaea tenerinervia.Nymphaea tenuinervia | International Plant Names Index. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2023, from https://www.ipni.org/n/605722-1 Nymphaea tenerinervia Casp. is an orthographical variant of Nymphaea tenuinervia Casp.Nymphaea tenerinervia | International Plant Names Index. (n.d.-b). Retrieved December 1, 2023, from https://www.ipni.org/n/281445-2
Etymology The specific epithet tenuinervia is composed of two parts. The first part tenui- means thin or slender, and -nervia means veins or nerves. Together it means fine-nerved.Eckel, P. M. & Missouri Botanical Garden. (n.d.). A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin. Retrieved January 1, 2024, from http://www.mobot.org/mobot/latindict/keyDetail.aspx?keyWord=nervisEckel, P. M. & Missouri Botanical Garden. (n.d.). A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin. Retrieved January 1, 2024, from http://www.mobot.org/mobot/latindict/keyDetail.aspx?keyWord=tenui
Ecology Pollination Scarabeid beetles are thought to be pollinators of Nymphaea tenuinervia.
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