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Nymphaea prolifera

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Nymphaea prolifera
Preserved specimen of Nymphaea prolifera Wiersema in the collection of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris (France)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Order: Nymphaeales
Family: Nymphaeaceae
Genus: Nymphaea
Species:
N. prolifera
Binomial name
Nymphaea prolifera
Wiersema[1]

Nymphaea prolifera is a species of waterlily naturally found from Mexico (specifically Veracruz and Tabasco) to Brazil and northeastern Argentina.[1] Additionally, it has been reported to occur in Uruguay.[2][3]

Description

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Vegetative characteristics

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Two young plants growing from the detached rhizomes of the proliferating pseudanthium

Nymphaea prolifera is a perennial aquatic herb.[4]

Generative characteristics

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Proliferating pseudanthium or tubiferous flower of Nymphaea prolifera Wiersema
Side view of opening Nymphaea prolifera Wiersema flower
Closing Nymphaea prolifera Wiersema flower during daytime floating on the water surface

The floral odour has been described as musty.[5]

Cytology

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Nymphaea prolifera is aneuploid. The chromosome count is 2n = 18.[6][7]

Reproduction

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Fruits and seeds are only produced on very rare occasions. Instead, the main form of reproduction relies on the sterile, tubiferous flowers as a form of vegetative reproduction.[4] Due to those vegetative propagules, it can persist through periods of decay.[8] The tubers readily separate and it is common to see numerous floating tubers in the water. They drift briefly in the water, until they establish roots to anchor themselves in the mud. When the water level declines, the tubers are likely embedded within the substrate.[9][10]

Conservation

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It is a rare species.[11]

Ecology

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Pollination

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The flowers are likely entomophilous (i.e. insect-pollinated).[11]

Habitat

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In Mexico, Nymphaea prolifera was collected in temporarily flooded meadows at the roadside, at depths of 30 to 60 cm. The populations appear shortly after the onset of the rainy season.[10] Its habitat within the Pantanal consists of flooded clay fields.[12] It is also found in swamps, temporary ponds, pastures.[11]

Herbivory

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This species experiences low levels of herbivory in the growth period. This may be explained by a high tannin content of 5.40%, as tannins are known to reduce insect herbivory.[8] Few occurrences of adult Hydrotimetes natans beetles, which are being used as a biological control agent of Cabomba caroliniana in Australia, have been observed on Nymphaea prolifera in its natural habitat. In a laboratory setting, it was shown that adult beetles can feed on Nymphaea prolifera leaves, although it prefers Cabomba caroliniana. The beetle larvae are host specific to Cabomba and fails to enter stems of Nymphaea prolifera.[13] The feeding behaviour of a different beetle species Neochetina eichhorniae was also evaluated. Despite the high nitrogen and low lignin contents of Nymphaea prolifera foliage, the beetle showed a low preference for Nymphaea prolifera as a food source and it is unlikely this beetle would feed on Nymphaea prolifera under natural conditions.[14] In its natural habitat, 13.3% of leaves had petioles damaged by endophagous larva.[15]

Nymphaea prolifera synthesises methylated benzenoids to repel waterlily aphids, which feed on the flowers.[16]

Taxonomy

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Publication

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Nymphaea prolifera was first described by Wiersema in 1984.[1]

Placement within Nymphaea

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It is a member of Nymphaea subg. Hydrocallis.[4]

Etymology

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The specific epithet prolifera references its distinctive trait of proliferous asexual reproduction.[17]

Cultivation

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It is rarely cultivated.[18]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Nymphaea prolifera Wiersema". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  2. ^ Berazategui, P., Duarte, W., García, M., & Villagrán, E. (2009). "Nymhaea prolifera Wiersema (Nymphaeaceae): primera cita para el Uruguay." Comunicaciones Botánicas Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Uruguay, 6(137).
  3. ^ Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. (n.d.). Nymphaea prolifera. Flora Argentina. Retrieved November 2, 2023, from http://buscador.floraargentina.edu.ar/species/details/25545
  4. ^ a b c Grob, V., Moline, P., Pfeifer, E., Novelo, A. R., & Rutishauser, R. (2006). "Developmental morphology of branching flowers in Nymphaea prolifera." Journal of Plant Research, 119, 561-570.
  5. ^ Breukel, H. (2010). Nymphaea prolifera Wiersema. Seerosenforum.de Das Portal Der Seerose. Retrieved November 2, 2023, from https://www.seerosenforum.de/gattung/Hydrocallis/Prolifera/Prolifera.aspx
  6. ^ Poczai, P., Mátyás, K.K., Szabó, I. et al. Genetic Variability of Thermal Nymphaea (Nymphaeaceae) Populations Based on ISSR Markers: Implications on Relationships, Hybridization, and Conservation. Plant Mol Biol Rep 29, 906–918 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11105-011-0302-9
  7. ^ Chen, F., Liu, X., Yu, C., Chen, Y., Tang, H., & Zhang, L. (2017). "Water lilies as emerging models for Darwin’s abominable mystery." Horticulture research, 4.
  8. ^ a b Martinez, F. S., & Franceschini, C. (2018). "Invertebrate herbivory on floating-leaf macrophytes at the northeast of Argentina: should the damage be taken into account in estimations of plant biomass?." Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências, 90, 155-167.
  9. ^ Viviparous Tropical Night Bloomers N. lasiophylla & N. prolifera. (n.d.). Victoria Adventure. Retrieved November 2, 2023, from http://www.victoria-adventure.org/waterlilies/names/tidbits/tnv_lasiophylla_prolifera.html
  10. ^ a b Olvera, M., & Lot, A. (1991). "Nuevo registro de Nymphaea prolifera (Nymphaeaceae) para México." Botanical Sciences, (51), 93-94.
  11. ^ a b c Lot, A. (1999). "Catálogo de angiospermas acuáticas de México: hidrófitas estrictas emergentes, sumergidas y flotantes." p. 100. Mexiko: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
  12. ^ Pott, Vali. (1998). "The Nymphaeaceae family in the Pantanal, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil." Acta Botanica Brasilica. 12. 183-194. 10.1590/S0102-33061998000200007.
  13. ^ Kumaran, N., Vance, T. J., Comben, D., Dell, Q., Oleiro, M. I., Goñalons, C. M., ... & Raghu, S. (2022). "Hydrotimetes natans as a suitable biological control agent for the invasive weed Cabomba caroliniana." Biological Control, 169, 104894.
  14. ^ MARTÍNEZ, F. S., FRANCESCHINI, M. C., & Poi, A. (2013). "Food preference Neochetina eichhorniae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) by aquatic plants of different nutritional value." Revista Colombiana de Entomología, 39(1), 81-87.
  15. ^ Franceschini, M.C., Murphy, K.J., Moore, I. et al. Impacts on freshwater macrophytes produced by small invertebrate herbivores: Afrotropical and Neotropical wetlands compared. Hydrobiologia 847, 3931–3950 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-020-04360-5
  16. ^ Liu, G., Fu, J., Wang, L., Fang, M., Zhang, W., Yang, M., ... & Jiang, Y. (2023). "Diverse O-methyltransferases catalyze the biosynthesis of floral benzenoids that repel aphids from the flowers of waterlily Nymphaea prolifera." Horticulture Research, uhad237.
  17. ^ Wiersema, J. H. (1984). Systematics of Nymphaea subgenus Hydrocallis (Nymphaeaceae). I. Four New Species from the Neotropics. Brittonia, 36(3), 213–222. https://doi.org/10.2307/2806510
  18. ^ Presnell, C. (2009, August). The intrigue of night blooming Nymphaea prolifera. WGI Online Journal. Retrieved November 2, 2023, from http://www.watergardenersinternational.org/journal/4-3/prolifera/gallery1.html
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