Nymphaea × helvola is an artificial waterlily hybrid of Nymphaea mexicana with Nymphaea tetragonaSchou, J. C., Moeslund, B., Weyer, K. v. d., Wiegleb, G., Lansdown, R. V., Holm, P., Baastrup-Spohr, L., Sand-Jensen, K. (2023). Aquatic Plants of Northern and Central Europe Including Britain and Ireland. p. 71. United States: Princeton University Press.Nymphaea × helvola M.Vilm. (n.d.-b). Plants of the World Online. Retrieved June 24, 2025, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77325436-1 or Nymphaea pygmaea,International Waterlily & Water Gardening Society. (n.d.-b). Nymphaea “Pygmaea helvola.” IWGS Plant Database. Retrieved June 24, 2025, from https://plants.iwgs.org/Home/PlantDetail?taxonID=107796Bisset, P. (2015). The Water Gardening Idea Book: How to Build, Plant, and Maintain Ponds, Fountains, and Basins. United States: Skyhorse Publishing.Möllers Deutsche Gärtner-Zeitung. p. 136. (1895). Germany: Ludwig Möller. which has been naturalised in India.Singh, K. K., Zirthangmawia, J. C., Usha, K., & Das, K. C. (2018, December). Life-form characteristics and biological spectrum of the aquatic macrophytes in Ṭam Dil, a natural lake in Mizoram. In Mizoram Science Congress 2018 (MSC 2018) (pp. 52-55). Atlantis Press.
Description
Vegetative characteristics Nymphaea × helvola is a rhizomatous,Nymphaea “Pygmaea helvola.” (n.d.). Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved June 24, 2025, from https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=261596&isprofile=1&gen=Nymphaea perennial,National Gardening Association. (n.d.). Hardy Water Lily (Nymphaea ’Helvola’). Garden.org. Retrieved June 24, 2025, from https://garden.org/plants/view/194993/Hardy-Water-Lily-Nymphaea-Helvola/ aquaticNymphaea “Helvola.” (n.d.). Chicago Botanic Garden. Retrieved June 24, 2025, from https://www.chicagobotanic.org/plantcollections/plantfinder/nymphaea_helvola--helvola_hardy_waterlily herb. The small, dark green, oval to orbiculate leaf with an entire marginGilman, E. F. (1999, October). Nymphaea x ‘Pygmaea Helvola.’ University of Florida. is 5–12 cm long, and 7 cm wide. The leaf displays brown to red marbling and spotting. Generative characteristics The small, yellow, fragrant,Nymphaea × helvola. (n.d.). Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved June 24, 2025, from https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/83743/nymphaea-helvola/details 3–4 cm wide flowers float on the water surface. The sepals are green on the abaxial surface and yellow on the adaxial surface. The flowers have 16–19Wilstermann-Hildebrand, M. (n.d.). Seerosen aus den Gattungen Nymphaea, Euryale und Viktoria. Heimbiotop. Retrieved June 25, 2025, from https://www.heimbiotop.de/seerosen.html#helvola lanceolate,Breukel, H. (2010). Nymphaea “Helvola.” Seerosenforum.de Das Portal Der Seerose. Retrieved June 24, 2025, from https://www.seerosenforum.de/wsSorten/Helvola/Helvola.aspx 2 cm long, and 1 cm wide petals. The stamens are yellow.
Taxonomy It was described by Maurice de Vilmorin in 1891.Nymphaea × helvola M.Vilm. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved June 24, 2025, from https://www.ipni.org/n/77325436-1 It is placed in the subgenus Nymphaea subg. Nymphaea.International Waterlily & Water Gardening Society. (n.d.). Nymphaea “Helvola.” IWGS Plant Database. Retrieved June 24, 2025, from https://plants.iwgs.org/Home/PlantDetail?taxonID=129329 Etymology The hybrid name helvola means pale yellow.Lord, K. (2021, July 28). Yellow club fungus (Clavulinopsis helvola). The Lawn Man. Retrieved June 24, 2025, from https://thelawnman.co.uk/yellow-club-fungus-clavulinopsis-helvola/Species: Zimmermannella helvola. (n.d.). LPSN - List of Prokaryotic Names With Standing in Nomenclature. Retrieved June 25, 2025, from https://lpsn.dsmz.de/species/zimmermannella-helvola The flowers are pale yellow. Hybridisation It is a hybrid of Nymphaea mexicana with Nymphaea tetragona or Nymphaea pygmaea.
Distribution It has been naturalised in Tam Dil, Mizoram, India.Singh, K., & Zirthangmawia, J. (2021). Determining the primary productivity of the macrophytes in Tamdil Lake, Mizoram, Northeast India. Sci Technol J, 9, 83-88.Singh, K. K., Das, K. C., Usha, K., Mualchin, L., Lalrinpuii, H., Ralte, V., ... & Das, S. (2025). Species diversity, distribution and biomass variability of the macrophyte community in Tamdil Lake, India. Vegetos, 1-11.Singh, K. K., Singh, K. K., Usha, K., Das, S., & Singh, S. S. (2022). Evaluation of seasonal dynamics of the surface water hydrochemistry using multivariate statistical techniques and aquatic macrophyte productivity in a mountainous lake, Northeast India. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29(45), 69048-69067.
Cultivation It is cultivated in small ponds, small water gardens, and aquariaZeitschrift für Bildende Gartenkunst. p. 276. (1897). Germany: Bodo Grundmann. in shallow, 20–25 cm deep water.Christmann, A. (2008). Gartenteiche. p. 53. Germany: GRÄFE UND UNZER Verlag GmbH.Hensel, W., Hudak, R., Leute, A., Mayer, J. (2011). Garten - Das Grüne von GU: Gartenpraxis Schritt für Schritt. Germany: GRÄFE UND UNZER Verlag GmbH.
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