Nuphar is genus of
aquatic plantAquatic plants — also called hydrophytic plants or hydrophytes — are plants that have adapted to living in or on aquatic environments. Because living on or under water surface requires numerous special adaptations, aquatic plants can only grow in water or permanently saturated soil...
s in the family
NymphaeaceaeNymphaeaceae is a name for a family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called water lilies and live in freshwater areas in temperate and tropical climates around the world. The family contains 8 genera. There are about 70 species of water lilies around the world. The genus...
, with a temperate
Northern HemisphereThe Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of the equator—the word hemisphere literally means 'half sphere'. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
distribution. The common name, shared with some other genera in the same family, is
water lily or
waterlily.
There are from 1 to 25
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
in the
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
. Some botanists treat the genus as just a single variable species (for which the European name
N. luteaNuphar lutea, the spatterdock, yellow water-lily, cow lily, or yellow pond-lily, is an aquatic plant of the family Nymphaeaceae, native to Eurasia...
has priority), but 10-12 species are typically accepted by most authorities.
Nuphar is genus of
aquatic plantAquatic plants — also called hydrophytic plants or hydrophytes — are plants that have adapted to living in or on aquatic environments. Because living on or under water surface requires numerous special adaptations, aquatic plants can only grow in water or permanently saturated soil...
s in the family
NymphaeaceaeNymphaeaceae is a name for a family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called water lilies and live in freshwater areas in temperate and tropical climates around the world. The family contains 8 genera. There are about 70 species of water lilies around the world. The genus...
, with a temperate
Northern HemisphereThe Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of the equator—the word hemisphere literally means 'half sphere'. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
distribution. The common name, shared with some other genera in the same family, is
water lily or
waterlily.
There are from 1 to 25
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
in the
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
. Some botanists treat the genus as just a single variable species (for which the European name
N. luteaNuphar lutea, the spatterdock, yellow water-lily, cow lily, or yellow pond-lily, is an aquatic plant of the family Nymphaeaceae, native to Eurasia...
has priority), but 10-12 species are typically accepted by most authorities. Recent molecular work has shown that there is some difference between the European and American species.
The genus is closely related to
NymphaeaNymphaea 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....
(named after the Greek term "Νυμφαία", possibly related to "Νύμφη" meaning
nymphA nymph in Greek mythology is a female spirit typically associated with a particular location or landform. Other nymphs, always in the shape of young nubile maidens, were part of the retinue of a god, such as Dionysus, Hermes, or Pan, or a goddess, generally Artemis. Nymphs were the frequent target...
).
Nuphar differs in having its
petalA petal is one member or part of the corolla of a flower. The corolla is the name for all of the petals of a flower; the inner perianth whorl, term used when this is not the same in appearance as the outermost whorl and is used to attract pollinators based on its bright color...
s being much smaller than its 4-6 bright yellow-coloured
sepalA sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Sepals in most flowers are green and lie under the more conspicuous petals. As a collective unit the sepals form a calyx, whereas the collection of petals is called the corolla...
s, whereas in
Nymphaea, the petals are much larger than the sepals. The
fruitThe term fruit has different meanings dependent on context, and the term is not synonymous in food preparation and biology. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants disseminate seeds, and the presence of seeds indicates that a structure is most likely a fruit, though not all seeds come from...
maturation also differs, with
Nuphar fruit being held above water level to maturity, whereas
Nymphaea fruit sink below the water level immediately after the flower closes. Both genera share
leavesIn botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin. There is continued debate about whether the flatness of leaves evolved to expose the chloroplasts to more light or to increase the absorption of carbon dioxide. In...
with a radial notch from the circumference to the
petioleIn botany, the petiole is the small 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...
(leaf stem) in the center.
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