Nymphaea ampla var. speciosa (Mart. & Zucc.) Casp.
Nymphaea leiboldiana Lehm.
Nymphaea lineata A.St.-Hil.
Nymphaea nervosa Lehm.
Nymphaea speciosa Mart. & Zucc.
Nymphaea trisepala Gaudich.
Nymphaea tropaeolifolia Lehm.
Nymphaea pulchella is a species of waterlily native to the regions spanning from Central and Southern
Mexico to
Brazil, as well as from the
Bahamas to the
Virgin Islands, including St. Croix.[1]
Description
Vegetative characteristics
Nymphaea pulchella is an aquatic herb[2] with cylindrical to subglobose tubers.[3] The elliptic, suborbicular to orbicular leaves have a sinuate to dentate margin.[4] The veins show minimal prominence on the abaxial leaf surface.[5]
Generative characteristics
The diurnal flowers can extend up to 20 cm above the water surface.[4] They are held up by glabrous, brownish, non-brittle peduncles with six primary central and 12-13 secondary peripheral air canals.[3] The androecium consists of 43-80 stamens.[3] The ellipsoid, smooth, hispid seeds have trichomes arranged in continuous longitudinal lines.[4]
It is autogamous, but reproduction is more fruitful in the presence of pollinators.[6] Flowering and fruiting occurs throughout the year. Generative reproduction is the main mode of reproduction.[3]
It occurs in freshwater habitats, such as lakes, ponds,[11] lagoons,[10] streams, and temporary puddles.[2]
Pollination
The bee species Trigona spinipes is an effective pollinator of Nymphaea pulchella. In some cases, the bees coated in pollen fall into the stigmatic fluid and die.[6][3] The flowers are also visited by the bee species Apis mellifera, as well as
flies.[3]
Herbivory
The bee species Trigona spinipes is
florivorous, i.e. it consumes parts of the flowers of Nymphaea pulchella.[6]
^
abcdefgde Lima, C. T., Machado, I. C., & Giulietti, A. M. (2021).
"Nymphaeaceae of Brasil." Sitientibus série Ciências Biológicas, 21.
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abcdPellegrini, M. O. O. & Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. (n.d.-b). Nymphaea pulchella DC. Flora E Funga Do Brasil. Retrieved December 29, 2023, from
https://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/FB19912
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abcdeChalegre, S. L., Domingos-Melo, A., de Lima, C. T., Giulietti, A. M., & Machado, I. C. (2020). Nymphaea pulchella (Nymphaeaceae) and Trigona spinipes (Apidae) interaction: From florivory to effective pollination in ponds surrounded by pasture. Aquatic Botany, 166, 103267.