Nephrophyllidium
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| Nephrophyllidium | ||||||||||||||
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| Nephrophyllidium crista-galli (Menz. ex Hook.) Gilg 1895 |
Nephrophyllidium is a monotypic genus of aquatic flowering plants in the family Menyanthaceae. They are wetland plants with basal reniform and crenate leaves. Flowers are five-parted and white, and the petals are adorned with lateral wings and a midline keel. Nephrophyllidium is most nearly related to Menyanthes, which is very similar in habit. The genus name is derived from the kidney-shaped leaves (Greek: nephron = kidney and phyllon = leaf), and the specific epithet refers to the curled petal edges (Latin: crista galli = cockscomb).
Nephrophyllidium crista-galli is found in the Pacific Northwest of America, and in Japan, where it can be called subspecies japonicum (Franch.) Yonek. & H.Ohashi. Nephrophyllidium is commonly known as 'deer cabbage'.
The IAPT determined that a prior synonym for the genus, Fauria Franch. 1886, too closely resembled the genus Faurea (Proteaceae), and thus conserved Nephrophyllidium as the accepted genus name.
