Nymphaea rubra Roxb. ex Salisb.

Nymphaea species are aquatic perennial herbs, laticiferous, rooted. Rhizomes erect or creeping, stoloniferous and sometimes branched. Leaves polymorphic, sublate, hastate, sagittate, deltoid to suborbicular, usually floating or submerged, membranous when young and coriaceous, prominently veined when mature, long petiolate. Flowers bisexual, usually solitary and floating, rarely submerged, yellow, white, pink, red and purple with long peduncles, sepals 4, free, hypogynous, petals 8 to numerous, hypogynous to perigynous. Stamens numerous, inflexed, shorter than petals and sepals, dorsifixed, filaments longer than anthers, anthers partially sunken, carpels 5-35, usually united partially or fully. ovary superior, ovules numerous. Fruits are irregularly dehiscent, when non-schizocarpic it is a berry, ovoid or globose, crowned, with green filaments, ripened under water, seed globose, enclosed in a fleshy bell shaped aril, smooth or with ridges.

Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern ver 3.1 Year Assessed: 2011 Assessor/s: Juffe Bignoli, D. Reviewer/s: Homsombath, K., Zhuang, X. & Allen, D. Justification: This aquatic plant has been recorded in numerous localities through a wide geographic range in the Indomalayan realm. It is used as an ornamental plant and also as a source of food in some local communities (i.e., India). Although no major threats to the global population have been recorded, the species is restricted to still or slow flowing waters which are subjected to many threats throughout the area. Hence, more research is needed to determine actual population trends. It is listed as Least Concern based on wide distribution range and relatively common occurrence. Conservation Actions: More research in global population trends is required.

Nymphaea species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects. Flowering/Fruiting: Profusely during August-January; almost throughout the year.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, hydrochory i.e., water dispersal, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Aquatic perennial herbs, maroon coloured, laticiferous, rooted. Rhizomes short, ovoid, stoloniferous. Leaves suborbicular, peltate to broadly ovate, about 12-30 x 9-26 cm across, base deeply hastate, margin shortly sinuate dentate and wavy, apex obtuse to retuse, lowest pair of veins straight and divergently produced and basal lobes, basal lobes slightly unequal, usually floating or submerged, membranous when young and coriaceous, dark red when young, reddish maroon, later olive green glabrous when mature on both sides, densely pubescent, prominently veined when mature beneath, submerged leaves smaller, cordate or sagittate, long petiolate. Flowers bisexual, usually solitary and floating, crimson red or dark red, about 8-16 cm across, with long peduncles, receptacle cylindrical, sepals 4, free, oblong-lanceolate, apex subacute or blunt, brownish green outside, about 2.5-8 x 1.5 x 1-3.5 cm across, petals about 10-25, oblong-lanceolate, base attenuate, apex subacute, white, outer ones about 2-7 x 1-2.8 cm across. Stamens numerous, filaments of the inner stamens with purplish band outside, lanceolate, longer than anthers, anthers partially sunken, carpels completely united, ovary superior, about 19-27 loculate, stigma flat with a hemispheric central projection, red and stigma receptive only during the first day stigmatic appendages oblong, inflexed, about 0.5-1 cm long. Fruit berry globose, about 2.5-4 cm across. Seeds numerous, ellipsoid or globular, smooth, spongy aril make the seedes float, about 1.5 x 1 mm.

Nymphaea species are susceptible to insect pests like water-lily beetle, water lily aphid. Diseases like water lily leaf spots, crown rots and brown spots.

Notes: Cultivated

Habitat and Ecology: It is found in rivers and ponds in still or slow flowing waters. Systems: Freshwater List of Habitats: 5, 5.1, 5.5, 5.7

Lakes and ponds of the plains.

Population: There is no information available on global population trends. It has been at least recorded from sixteen localities in Thailand (La-ongrsri et al. 2009) Population Trend: Unknown

Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern ver 3.1 Year Assessed: 2011 Assessor/s: Juffe Bignoli, D. Reviewer/s: Homsombath, K., Zhuang, X. & Allen, D. Justification: This aquatic plant has been recorded in numerous localities through a wide geographic range in the Indomalayan realm. It is used as an ornamental plant and also as a source of food in some local communities (i.e., India). Although no major threats to the global population have been recorded, the species is restricted to still or slow flowing waters which are subjected to many threats throughout the area. Hence, more research is needed to determine actual population trends. It is listed as Least Concern based on wide distribution range and relatively common occurrence. Conservation Actions: More research in global population trends is required.

Least Concern ver 3.1. (IUCN).

Major Threat (s): The threats to this species are unknown.

Stems and leaves edible and used as vegetable, also cultivated.