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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE WATERLILY FAMILY | |||||||||
| The waterlilies are aquatic herbs found in ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams all the way from the tropics to the north temperate regions of the world. These plants usually have at least some floating leaves attached to the rhizomes by long stalks. The leaf blades are heart-shaped to round or elliptic with a solid margin. The flowers are solitary and are generally quite showy. This family has what are called “primitive angiosperm” characteristics. This means that on the evolutionary scale, the waterlilies are thought to be one of the older flowering plant families. Some of the primitive angiosperm characteristics include many, spirally arranged petals and laminar stamens. The term laminar means that the anther and the filament are not easy to tell apart. These stamens are usually flat and may be the same colour as the petals. | |||||||||
| PYGMY WATERLILY | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Nymphaea tetragona | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Pygmy waterlily is an aquatic herb. The long leaf and flower stalks join the solitary flowers and floating leaves to the erect rhizomes. The leaves are elliptic in outline and are green above and green or purplish below. The flowers do not smell. The flowers have four green sepals, 8 to 15 white petals and 20 to 40 yellow stamens. The filaments are widest above the middle and are longer than the anthers. The fruits are berry-like. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Pygmy waterlily grows in ponds, lakes, or slow-moving streams. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species is found in northern and central Saskatchewan in the Mid-Boreal Upland, Mid-Boreal Lowland, Athabasca Plain, and Churchill River Upland ecoregions. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Pygmy waterlily is threatened because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. No threats are known or anticipated. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY PYGMY WATERLILY | |||||||||
| * Is the plant living in the water? * Are the leaves floating and elliptic in shape? * Are the flowers white with many stamens that are widest above the middle? * Did you find it in northern or central Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found pygmy waterlily! | |||||||||
