Nymphoides cristata (Roxburgh) Kuntze, 1891

Mehrvarz, Shahryar Saeidi & Nodehi, Maryam Ashouri, 2016, A review of the genus Nymphoides (Menyanthaceae) in Iran, Phytotaxa 257 (3), pp. 260-270 : 260-270

Nymphoides cristata (Roxburgh) Kuntze ( Fig. 2A, B )

Synonym ≡ Menyanthes cristata Roxb., Plants of the Coast of Coromandel 2: 3–4. 1798 ≡ Limnanthemum cristatum (Roxb.) Griseb. , Genera et Species Gentianearum adjectis Observationibus Quibusdam Phytogeographicis 342–343. 1839.

Perennial, rhizomatous, monoecious or gynodioecious, usually rooted in the substrate of shallow waters but occasionally found free-floating as small vegetative propagules with a few leaves subtended by bundles of tuberoids. Rhizome short, petiole-like floating stems with several nodes, length highly variable depending on water depth, rooting from nodes. Leaves all fertile; One leaf per node; petiole 1–2.5 cm long; rooted plants have a few submerged leaves, but most are floating; blade ovate orbicular, 2.5–15 × 3–10 cm; adaxial surface green, abaxial surface densly glandular and purple, deeply cordate at base, margin entire. Flowers many, bisexual and female, 5-merous, in umbellate clusters arising from the junction of petiole and the branch. Calyx to 5 mm long, lobes ovate, apex obtuse. Corolla white with a yellow center; 4–8 mm diam., lobes ovate with flexuous, membranous wings on the margins and a longitudinal fold within, apex obtuse. Stamens 5; Filaments short, 1–2 mm, inserted at the junction of the lobes. Pistil bottle-shaped; style very short, 1 mm; stigma 2-lobed. Capsule elliptic, shortly beaked, 3–5 mm long. Seeds globose, light brown, with a basal hilum, 1–2 mm in diam., 4–6 per capsule; surface aculeate.

Phenology:—September–December.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Iranian taxa of Nymphoides. (A) habit, (B) flowers in N. cristata. (C) habit, (D) flowers in N. peltata.