Nymphaea macrosperma

{{Short description|Species of water lily}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Speciesbox |image = Nymphaeaceae Nymphaea macrosperma 1.jpg |genus = Nymphaea |parent = Nymphaea subg. Anecphya |species = macrosperma |authority = Merr. & L.M.Perry |synonyms = *''Nymphaea dictyophlebia'' Merr. & L.M.Perry |synonyms_ref = <ref name = "POWO, 2024">{{cite POWO |id=605612-1 |title=''Nymphaea macrosperma'' Merr. & L.M.Perry |accessdate=11 January 2024}}</ref> |status = SL |status_system = QLDNCA |status_ref = <ref name = "Queensland Government, 2022">Queensland Government. (2022i, March 8). Species profile—Nymphaea macrosperma. Retrieved February 1, 2024, from https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species-search/details/?id=13387</ref> }}

'''''Nymphaea macrosperma''''' is an aquatic annual or perennial flowering plant in the family Nymphaeaceae.<ref name = "Florabase" /> It is native to Australia<ref name = "POWO, 2024" /> and New Guinea.<ref name = "Tropicos">Missouri Botanical Garden. (n.d.-f). ''Nymphaea macrosperma'' Merr. & L.M. Perry. Tropicos. Retrieved December 2, 2024, from http://legacy.tropicos.org/Name/50265123</ref><ref name = "POWO, 2024" />

==Description== ===Vegetative characteristics=== ''Nymphaea macrosperma'' is an aquatic annual or rhizomatous herbaceous perennial,<ref name = "Florabase" /><ref name = "FloraNT">Northern Territory Government. (n.d.). ''Nymphaea macrosperma'' Merr. & L.M.Perry. FloraNT. Retrieved December 2, 2024, from https://eflora.nt.gov.au/factsheet?id=3999</ref> with rounded rhizomes that lack stolons.<ref name = "Flora of Australia">S.W.L. Jacobs & C.L. Porter. Nymphaea macrosperma, in (ed.), Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Nymphaea%20macrosperma [Date Accessed: 03 December 2024]</ref> The glabrous,<ref name = "FloraNT" /> orbicular, elliptic<ref name = "Flora of Australia" /> or suborbicular leaves<ref name = "Merrill & Perry, 1942" /> with a dentate margin<ref name = "FloraNT" /><ref name = "Breukel" /> are 17–38 cm long, and 15–31 cm wide.<ref name = "FloraNT" /> The abaxial leaf surface has a strong midrib and 6 palmately arranged primary veins, which are reticulate towards the leaf margin.<ref name = "Merrill & Perry, 1942" /> The petioles are up to 2.5 m long, and 2-4 mm wide.<ref name = "FloraNT" />

===Generative characteristics=== The 6–7 cm wide,<ref name = "Merrill & Perry, 1942" /> diurnal flowers extend above the water surface.<ref name = "Breukel">Breukel, H. (n.d.). Nymphaea macrosperma Merr. & L.M. Perry. Seerosenforum.de Das Portal Der Seerose. Retrieved February 1, 2024, from https://www.seerosenforum.de/gattung/Anecphya/Macrosperma/Macrosperma.aspx</ref> The four<ref name = "Merrill & Perry, 1942" /><ref name = "Flora of Australia" /> oblong sepals with a rounded apex<ref name = "Merrill & Perry, 1942" /> are 25-55 mm long, and 9-25 mm wide.<ref name = "FloraNT" /> The 10–18<ref name = "FloraNT" />(–22)<ref name = "Flora of Australia" /> white, blue, or purple,<ref name = "FloraNT" /> oblanceolate to spathulate petals<ref name = "Flora of Australia" /> have an obtuse apex.<ref name = "FloraNT" /> There is a conspicuous gap between petals and stamens.<ref name = "Flora of Australia" /><ref name = "Merrill & Perry, 1942" /> The androecium consists of 150–200 stamens. The gynoecium consists of 10–13 carpels.<ref name = "FloraNT" /> The 4 cm wide fruit<ref name = "Flora of Australia" /> bears oblong to ovoid,<ref name = "Merrill & Perry, 1942" /> hairy, 3–4.5 mm long, and 2–3 mm wide seeds.<ref name = "Flora of Australia" />

==Taxonomy== ===Publication=== It was published by Elmer Drew Merrill and Lily May Perry in 1942.<ref name = "Merrill & Perry, 1942">Merrill, Elmer D., & Perry, Lily M. (1942). [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8373745 Plantae Papuanae Archboldianae, X.] Journal of the Arnold Arboretum, 23(4), 383--416. https://doi.org/10.5962/p.185463</ref><ref name = "POWO, 2024" /> In the same publication, the species was described a second time as ''Nymphaea dictyophlebia'' {{small|Merr. & L.M.Perry}}, which is a synonym of ''Nymphaea macrosperma'' {{small|Merr. & L.M.Perry}}.<ref name = "Jacobs, 1992">Jacobs, S. W. L. (1992). [https://scholar.archive.org/work/5ag6ssqoznhm7kxh43mcbjpx4q/access/wayback/http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/emuwebnswlive/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=75778&reftable=ebibliography "New species, lectotypes and synonyms of Australasian ''Nymphaea'' (Nymphaeaceae)."] Telopea, 4(4), 635-641.</ref><ref name = "POWO, 2024" /> ===Type specimen=== The type specimen was collected by LJ Brass in Lake Daviumbu, New Guinea (British New Guinea) in August 1936.<ref name = "JSTOR">Type of ''Nymphaea macrosperma'' Merr. & L.M.Perry [family NYMPHAEACEAE]. (n.d.). JSTOR. Retrieved February 1, 2024, from https://plants.jstor.org/stable/10.5555/al.ap.specimen.l0038664</ref> ===Position within ''Nymphaea''=== It is placed in ''Nymphaea'' subgenus ''Anecphya''.<ref name = "Löhne et al., 2008">Löhne, C., Borsch, T., Jacobs, S. W., Hellquist, C. B., & Wiersema, J. H. (2008). [https://www.academia.edu/download/51262689/Nuclear_and_plastid_DNA_sequences_reveal20170109-8144-1bdf84s.pdf "Nuclear and plastid DNA sequences reveal complex reticulate patterns in Australian water-lilies (''Nymphaea'' subgenus ''Anecphya'', Nymphaeaceae)."] Australian Systematic Botany, 21(4), 229-250.</ref>

==Etymology== The specific epithet ''macrosperma'' means large-seeded.<ref name = "Native Plant Trust">''Crataegus macrosperma'' (large-seeded hawthorn): Go Botany. (n.d.). Native Plant Trust. Retrieved February 1, 2024, from https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/crataegus/macrosperma/</ref><ref name = "Bayton, 2020">Bayton, R. (2020). Practical Uses of Botanical Latin. In The Gardener's Botanical: An Encyclopedia of Latin Plant Names - with More than 5,000 Entries (pp. 22-318). Princeton: Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691209135-007</ref>

==Ecology== ===Habitat=== It occurs in up to 2.5 m deep<ref name = "FloraNT" /> stagnant or flowing water<ref name = "Florabase" /> in lagoons,<ref name = "Merrill & Perry, 1942" /> swamps,<ref name = "FloraNT" /><ref name = "Merrill & Perry, 1942" /> billabongs, and drainage channels on clay substrates. It can occur in slightly brackish water.<ref name = "FloraNT" />

==Conservation== The NCA status of ''Nymphaea macrosperma'' is Special Least Concern (SL).<ref name = "Queensland Government, 2022" /> Under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, it is classified as Not threatened.<ref name = "Florabase">Western Australian Herbarium & Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. (n.d.-b). ''Nymphaea macrosperma'' Merr. & L.M.Perry. Florabase—the Western Australian Flora. Retrieved December 2, 2024, from https://florabase.dbca.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/19830</ref>

==Uses== The plant is a traditional Aboriginal bushfood.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/monitoringandsurveillance/nuttab2006/onlineversionintroduction/onlineversion.cfm?&action=getFood&foodID=15A10182 |title=Australian Food Standards, Water lily seed pod analysis |access-date=16 July 2008 |archive-date=30 July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080730214115/http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/monitoringandsurveillance/nuttab2006/onlineversionintroduction/onlineversion.cfm?&action=getFood&foodID=15A10182 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The seeds are usually described as "sweet like a pea" and are eaten for lunch.<ref>{{cite episode | title = Part 1 | series = In the Bush with Malcolm Douglas | airdate = 2009-02-07 | season = 1}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Bushfood macrosperma Category:Angiosperms of Western Australia Category:Flora of the Northern Territory Category:Flora of Queensland Category:Flora of New Guinea Category:Taxa named by Elmer Drew Merrill Category:Taxa named by Lily May Perry Category:Plants described in 1942