Species: Nymphaea tetragona Georgi

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Nymphaea tetragona Georgi

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Nymphaeaceae

Genus:

Nymphaea

Species Synonyms:

Castalia leibergii
Castalia tetragona (Georgi) Lawson

Common Names:

pygmy waterlily

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

British Columbia – southern Mackenzie District – Alberta – northern and central Saskatchewan – Manitoba – Ontario – eastern Quebec

Saskatchewan:

northern and central Saskatchewan; Lake Athabasca – Cumberland House

Ecoregion:

Mid-Boreal Upland, Mid-Boreal Lowland, Athabasca Plain, Churchill River Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

aquatics in quiet waters of lakes and streams

Canada:

great bulrush, spiked water milfoil, yellow pond lily

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Pygmy waterlily is threatened because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. No threats are known or anticipated.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Roots:

rhizomes unbranched, erect, cylindrical

Stems:

runners absent

Leaves:

blade 3 –12 cm long, 2 – 10 cm wide, elliptic in outline, basal lobes tapered to a point, venation palmate, principal veins 7 – 13, green above, green to purple below, hairless, margin entire; leaf stalk hairless

Inflorescence:

solitary, floating, opening in the morning, 3 – 8 cm diameter

Flowers:

odourless; sepals 4, to 8 cm long, green, lines of insertion on receptacle prominent; petals 8 – 15, tip acute, white, may have purplish lines; stamens 20 – 40, yellow, widest above the middle, filaments longer than anthers; ovary compound; appendages at margin of stigmatic disk tapered, > 3 mm long; stigmas 6 – 9

Fruits:

seeds 3 mm long, ovoid

NYMPHAEA KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Petals 17 – 46; filaments widest below the middle; flowers fragrant, 5 – 8 cm diameter; leaves round in outline	N. odorata ssp. odorata
1 Petals 8 – 17; filaments widest above the middle; flowers odourless, 2 – 5 cm diameter; leaves elliptic in outline	2

2 Appendages at margin of stigmatic disk < 1.5 mm; petals obtuse	N. leibergii
2 Appendages at margin of stigmatic disk > 3 mm; petals acute	N. tetragona