Nymphaea leibergii
Encyclopedia
Nymphaea leibergii, also known as the Dwarf Waterlily, and Leiberg's waterlily is a perennial emergent
aquatic plant belonging to the genus Nymphaea
. It can be found across northern North America
in ponds and slow moving streams. Populations of this plant are infrequent throughout its range, and it is protected as a state threatened plant in Maine
and Minnesota
.
s which give rise to long smooth petiole
s which terminate in smooth ovate floating leaves. Leaves can be up to 15–19 cm, and have 7-13 radiating veins. The floating flower
s are generally typical of waterlilies. They are radially symmetric with prominent yellow stamen
s and many white petals. The flowers open each day and close again each night.
but much smaller. This species has been found to hybridize with Nymphaea odorata resulting in a sterile hybrid of intermediate morphology.
Nymphaea leibergii is also closely related Nymphaea tetragona, these two species of "small" waterlilies where once thought to be the same species. Today they are recognized as a distinct but form section Chamaenyphaea of the subgenera Nymphaea. N. leibergii has an overlapping range with the circumboreal N. tetragona. However, the former is more common in the central and eastern parts of northern North America, while the latter is more common in the northwestern and western sections. There are differences between the species in both the floral and vegetative parts. In the flower receptacle, where the base is elliptic in N. leibergii, the base has angular protrusions and appears tetragonal in N. tetragona. N. leibergii also has fewer petals and stamens, and a yellowish-brown stigma, where the stigma is purple in N. tetragona.
(1853-1913), who discovered the plant in the late 1800s.
Emergent plant
An emergent plant is one which grows in water but which pierces the surface so that it is partially in air. Collectively, such plants are emergent vegetation....
aquatic plant belonging to the genus Nymphaea
Nymphaea
Nymphaea is a genus of aquatic plants in the family Nymphaeaceae. There are about 50 species in the genus, which has a cosmopolitan distribution.-Name:The common name, shared with some other genera in the same family, is Water Lily....
. It can be found across northern North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in ponds and slow moving streams. Populations of this plant are infrequent throughout its range, and it is protected as a state threatened plant in Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
.
Description
This plant is rooted at unbranched rhizomeRhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
s which give rise to long smooth petiole
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
s which terminate in smooth ovate floating leaves. Leaves can be up to 15–19 cm, and have 7-13 radiating veins. The floating flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are generally typical of waterlilies. They are radially symmetric with prominent yellow stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s and many white petals. The flowers open each day and close again each night.
Taxonomy
It is similar to Nymphaea odorataNymphaea odorata
Nymphaea odorata, also known as the Fragrant Water Lily and Beaver Root, is a flower belonging to the genus Nymphaea. It can commonly be found in lake shallows, ponds, and permanent slow moving waters throughout North America where it ranges from Central America to northern Canada...
but much smaller. This species has been found to hybridize with Nymphaea odorata resulting in a sterile hybrid of intermediate morphology.
Nymphaea leibergii is also closely related Nymphaea tetragona, these two species of "small" waterlilies where once thought to be the same species. Today they are recognized as a distinct but form section Chamaenyphaea of the subgenera Nymphaea. N. leibergii has an overlapping range with the circumboreal N. tetragona. However, the former is more common in the central and eastern parts of northern North America, while the latter is more common in the northwestern and western sections. There are differences between the species in both the floral and vegetative parts. In the flower receptacle, where the base is elliptic in N. leibergii, the base has angular protrusions and appears tetragonal in N. tetragona. N. leibergii also has fewer petals and stamens, and a yellowish-brown stigma, where the stigma is purple in N. tetragona.
Etymology
The species epitaph is in honor of the Swedish-American botanist, forester, and plant collector John Bernhard LeibergJohn Bernhard Leiberg
John Bernhard Leiberg was a Swiss born botanical explorer, forester, and bryologist in the northwestern United States. Leiberg came to America in 1868 and settled near Lake Coeur d’Aleen, Idaho. He spent the first part of his career as an explorer and plant collector for various flora projects...
(1853-1913), who discovered the plant in the late 1800s.