Tags: endemic | plant

Nuphar shimadae Hayata (NYMPHACEAE) 台灣萍蓬草

The genus Nuphar comprises about 16 aquatic species that are distributed mainly in temperate regions of northern hemisphere but also found in the subtropics. Commemorating Yaichi Shimada who first found this plant in northern Taiwan, Bunzo Hayata published the new species, Nuphar shimadae, in “Icones Plantarum Formosanarum" in 1916. Nuphar shimadae is a rare endemic species that are known only in a few lowland ponds in Taoyuan County. It has stout rhizomes growing in mud and floating leaves on surface of still water. Flowers are borne on emerged pedicels. Yellow petals look as if they are just about to open but never do. Instead, they curl up and over the ovary. Sigma is divided into about 6-10 reddish valves.

Photo by Ching-I Peng
Legend by Ching-I Peng & Maolun Weng
Digital Archives of Indigenous Plants of Taiwan, Academia Sinica

Text and images are provided by TELDAP e-Newsletter (October, 2009)