Nymphaea amazonum explained

Nymphaea amazonum is a species of water lily native to the region spanning from Mexico to tropical South America. It has been introduced to Bangladesh.

Description

Vegetative characteristics

Nymphaea amazonum is an aquatic herb. It has dark brown to black, subcylindrical rhizomes, which can reach lengths of 10cm (00inches) and widths of 3cm (01inches).[1] The broadly ovate-elliptic leaf blade reaches 32cm (13inches) in length and 26cm (10inches) in width. The actinodromous venation on the abaxial side of the mature leaf features strongly prominent and rounded veins. The petiole is up to 8 mm wide and exhibits a ring of trichomes towards the apex.

Generative characteristics

The nocturnal flowers float on the water surface. They are attached to 10 mm wide peduncles, which rarely exhibit a ring of trichomes towards the apex. The strong floral fragrance has been said to resemble that of Magnolia fuscata,[2] a synonym of Magnolia figo var. figo.[3] It has also been characterised as very pleasant.[4] [5] [6] The fragrance is also said to resemble petrol, xylol, benzene, PDB, turpentine, benzol, xylene, and acetone.Fruits are produced very frequently. Up to 22000 seeds are found in a single fruit. The ovoid seeds are 1.3 mm long and 0.9 mm wide. They are smooth, pilose and exhibit trichomes in continuous longitudinal lines.[7]

Cytology

The diploid chromosome count is 2n = 18.[8]

Reproduction

Vegetative reproduction

Nymphaea amazonum is stoloniferous, but does not produce proliferating pseudanthia.

Generative reproduction

The seed dispersal is hydrochorous (i.e. water-dispersed) or ornithochorous (i.e. bird-dispersed).[9]

Taxonomy

It was first described by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius and Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini in 1832.

Type specimen

The type specimen was collected in Brazil.

Placement within Nymphaea

It is placed in Nymphaea subg. Hydrocallis.

Former subspecies

Nymphaea amazonum was sepataed into the two subspecies Nymphaea amazonum subsp. amazonum and Nymphaea amazonum subsp. pedersenii Wiersema.This view was later rejected and Nymphaea amazonum subsp. pedersenii Wiersema was then treated as a separate species Nymphaea pedersenii (Wiersema) C.T.Lima & Giul. in 2021.[10]

Conservation

In Puerto Rico, USA Nymphaea amazonum faces habitat destruction.[11] It is considered to be endangered (EN) in Cuba, as it faces diminishing and deteriorating habitats caused by agricultural practices, the influence of exotic flora and fauna, livestock farming, sedimentation, and pollution.[12] In the Liste rouge de la flore vasculaire de Guadeloupe of 2019, Nymphaea amazonum is listed as data deficient (DD).[13]

Ecology

Habitat

In the Pantanal, it can be found in permanent ponds. It is also found in lagoons and canals.[14] It is found growing in mixtures of clay and sand or in sandy-quartzitic soils. Rhizomes of Nymphaea amazonum can endure periods of drought in moist sediments. In the floodplains of the Amazon, it faces competition from aquatic and semi-aquatic grass species.[15]

Pollination

The strong floral fragrance attracts beetles of the genus Cyclocephala.[16] The beetle species Cyclocephala castanea pollinates the flowers of Nymphaea amazonum.[17]

Uses

Nymphaea amazonum is used as a medicine and for food. The rhizomes are edible.[18] It has the ability to absorb the pesticides cyhalothrin and imidacloprid from the water.[19] [20] It exhibits antimicrobial properties in the treatment of ulcers.[21] The flowers have been used in the treatment of herpes and erysipelas.[22]

Cultivation

It is rare in cultivation.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Stoffers . A.L. . Lindeman . J.C. . Flora of Suriname . Brill . Bd. 5,Teil 1 . 1979 . 978-90-04-06062-3 . 2023-12-11 . 373–375.
  2. Henkel, F., Rehnelt, F., Dittmann, L. (1907). "Das Buch der Nymphaeaceen oder Seerosengewächse." p. 76. Germany: Henkel.
  3. 77170272-1 . Magnolia figo var. figo . 7 December 2023.
  4. Book: Otto . F. . Dietrich . A. . Allgemeine Gartenzeitung . Verlag der Nauck'sche Buchhandlung . Bd. 24 . 1856 . de . 2023-12-11 . 64.
  5. Book: Lóczy, L. . Hungary. Földművelésügyi Minisztérium . Resultate der wissenschaftlichen Erforschung des Balatonsees . In Kommission von E. Hölzel . Bd. 2 . 1897 . de . 2023-12-11 . 7-PA33.
  6. Book: Otto . E. . Mettler . R. . Neue allgemeine deutsche Garten- und Blumenzeitung . R. Kittler . Bd. 11 . 1855 . de . 2023-12-11 . 4-PA78.
  7. Web site: Nymphaea amazonum Mart. & Zucc. . Flora e Funga do Brasil . 2023-12-11 . pt.
  8. Wiersema, J. H. (1987). A monograph of Nymphaea subgenus Hydrocallis (Nymphaeaceae). Systematic Botany Monographs, 1-112.
  9. Book: Lot, A. . Catálogo de angiospermas acuáticas de México: hidrófitas estrictas emergentes, sumergidas y flotantes . Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México . Cuadernos del Instituto de Biología . 1999 . 978-968-36-7928-4 . es . 2023-12-11 . 93.
  10. 77295794-1 . Nymphaea pedersenii (Wiersema) C.T.Lima & Giul. . 8 December 2023.
  11. Book: Woodbury, R.O. . Rare and Endangered Plants of Puerto Rico: A Committee Report . U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service . 1975 . 2023-12-11 . 61.
  12. Book: Cruz . A.J.U. . González-Oliva . L. . Carbó . R.N. . Libro rojo de la flora vascular de la provincia Pinar del Río . Universidad de Alicante . 2010 . 978-84-9717-061-1 . es . 2023-12-11 . 317.
  13. Web site: Nymphaea amazonum Mart. & Zucc., 1832 . Inventaire National du Patrimoine Naturel . fr . 2023-12-11.
  14. Book: Liogier . A.H. . Martorell . L.F. . Flora of Puerto Rico and Adjacent Islands: A Systematic Synopsis . Ed. de la Universidad . 2000 . 978-0-8477-0369-2 . 2023-12-11 . 58.
  15. Book: Junk . Wolfgang J. . Piedade . Maria Teresa F. . The Central Amazon Floodplain . Plant Life in the Floodplain with Special Reference to Herbaceous Plants . Springer Berlin Heidelberg . Berlin, Heidelberg . 126 . 1997 . 978-3-642-08214-6 . 10.1007/978-3-662-03416-3_8 . 147–185.
  16. Book: Heckman, C.W. . The Pantanal of Poconé: Biota and Ecology in the Northern Section of the World's Largest Pristine Wetland . Springer Netherlands . Monographiae Biologicae . 2013 . 978-94-017-3423-3 . 2023-12-11 . 178.
  17. Book: Kaufman . L. . Mallory . K. . New England Aquarium Corporation . The Last Extinction . MIT Press . 1993 . 978-0-262-61089-6 . 2023-12-11 . 79.
  18. Book: Damasceno-Junior . G.A. . Pott . A. . Flora and Vegetation of the Pantanal Wetland . Springer International Publishing . Plant and Vegetation . 2022 . 978-3-030-83375-6 . 2023-12-11 . 710.
  19. Book: Arora . N.K. . Kumar . N. . Phyto and Rhizo Remediation . Springer Nature Singapore . Microorganisms for Sustainability . 2019 . 978-981-329-664-0 . 2023-12-11 . 98.
  20. Book: Malik, J.A. . Advances in Bioremediation and Phytoremediation for Sustainable Soil Management: Principles, Monitoring and Remediation . Springer International Publishing . 2022 . 978-3-030-89984-4 . 2023-12-11 . 68.
  21. Book: Rai . M. . Feitosa . C.M. . Eco-Friendly Biobased Products Used in Microbial Diseases . CRC Press . 2022 . 978-1-000-61466-4 . 2023-12-11 . 39.
  22. Book: Deutscher Apotheker-Verein . Jahresbericht über die Fortschritte der Pharmacognosie, Pharmacie und Toxicologie . Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht . Bd. 13 . 1879 . de . 2023-12-11 . 39.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Nymphaea amazonum".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.