Menyanthaceae
Nymphoides

Nymphoides indica (L.) Kuntze

First published in Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 429 (1891)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & Subtropical Asia to SW. Pacific. It is a hydroperennial and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome. It is has environmental uses, as a medicine and invertebrate food and for food.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
hoja de raya, loto, loto silvestre, patodiagua, taruya raya
[UNAL]

Menyanthaceae, P. Taylor. Flora of West Tropical Africa 2. 1963

Morphology General Habit
Aquatic plant
Morphology Leaves
Rounded leaves floating on the surface
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Emergent clusters of white or yellow flowers.
[FWTA]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean, Caribbean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 5–1125 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Atlántico, Casanare, Cauca, Chocó, Córdoba, Meta, Risaralda, Vichada.
Habit
Herb, Aquatic.
Conservation
IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.
[UPFC]

Menyanthaceae, Christopher Whitehouse. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1996

Morphology General Habit
Plants perennial, often spotted red-violet.
Vegetative Multiplication Stolons
Stolons numerous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves circular, up to 30 cm. across, reddish beneath; petiole 1.5-6 cm. or even more.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence usually 20-30-flowered; pedicels 4-10 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 5-10 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla ± 2.5-3 cm. across, white with a yellow centre; tube ± 7-9 mm. long; corolla lobes covered entirely with hairs inside; heterostylous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens inserted 2/ 3 or 3/ 4 of the way up the corolla-tube; anthers in short-styled flowers ± 2.5-3 mm. long, filaments long-exserted, 2-3 mm. long; anthers in long-styled flowers similar but only up to 2 mm. long, filaments not exserted, 1-2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Gynoecium 5-8 or 10-14 mm.; ovary ovoid in both types of flowers, 3-4 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule ovoid, up to 6 mm. diameter, shorter than the calyx.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds numerous, sometimes more than 50, smooth to ± tuberculate.
Distribution
T2 T5 (of the SPECIES) Pantropical
[FTEA]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 5 - 1125 m.; Andes, Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia, Pacífico.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba, acuática
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2014) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 2: Lythraceae to Campanulaceae.

Morphology Leaves
Leaves broadly ovate to orbicular, bright green often tinged with reddish purple, 3–25 cm, margin entire or slightly sinuate, petiole of inflorescence leaves 1–2 cm, basal sheath inconspicuous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Fascicles 10–30-flowered
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Pedicels up to 8 cm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx lobes narrowly lanceolate, acute, 3–6 × 1–2 mm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla lobes white with a yellow base, narrowly obovate, 8–15 mm, margin and inner surface densely bearded with long flexuous hairs
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule broadly ovoid-globose, up to 10 mm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds lenticular, smooth or ± tuberculate, about 1.5 mm.
Ecology
In still or slow-flowing water; 0–20 m alt.
Phenology
Apr.–Aug.
Distribution
SW Iran, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Australia, Pacific Islands, W & S Tropical Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius, S Africa. Common in the southern marsh and other marshy districts of the desert region of Iraq.
[FIQ]

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Vernacular
WATER SNOWFLAKE
Morphology Leaves
Leaves glabrous, broadly ovate to nearly orbicular, 3–15 cm wide, often purplish beneath
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Pedicels 2–5 cm long, erect when flowering and deflexed in fruit; calyx-lobes ca. 6 mm long; corolla 2–2.5 cm across when expanded, white, yellow at the base
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers heterostylous, the yellow filaments 1 or 4 mm long, the ovary and style 10 or 6 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsules ovoid, ca. 6 mm long, many-seeded; seeds ca. 1.5 mm in diameter, smooth.
Distribution
Grand Cayman. Pantropical.
Ecology
In ponds or small pools, sometimes on mud where water has receded. This species is presumably tolerant of somewhat brackish conditions.
[Cayman]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/168916/120213259

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Uses

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Gene Sources
Used as gene sources.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Invertebrate Food
Used as invertebrate food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Common Names

English
Water Snowflake

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Iraq

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Neotropikey

    • Milliken, W., Klitgard, B. and Baracat, A. (2009 onwards), Neotropikey - Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0