Nymphaeaceae

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Nymphaeaceae

Water Lily with Flower

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Nymphaeales
Family:	Nymphaeaceae Salisb. (1805)

Water Lily Diversity

Water lilies are plants in the family Nymphaeaceae that live in freshwater areas in temperate and tropical climates around the world. The family Nyhmpaeaceae contains 8 genera. There are about 70 species of water lilies around the world^[1]. The genus Nymphaea contains about 35 species including water lilies with a distinct smell called Nymphaea odorata. Other species in the genus include N. Alba, N. lotus, and many others^[2]. The genus Nymphae contains about 25 species which can be found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The genus Victoria contains two species of giant water lilies and can be found in South America^[3]. Nymphaeaceae is the botanical name of a family of flowering plants. The family is also called the water lily family. The white water lily is the national flower of Bangladesh. It is also the birth flower for July. Water lilies are rooted in soil in bodies of water, with leaves and flowers floating on the water surface. The leaves are round, with a radial notch in Nymphaea and Nuphar, but fully circular in Victoria.

Horticulturally, water lilies are divided into two main categories: hardy and tropical. Hardy water lilies bloom only during the day, but tropical water lilies can bloom either day or night, and are the only group to contain blue-flowered plants.

Water lilies can be fragrant (for example Nymphaea odorata). There are hundreds of variations of a common water lily.

Water lilies were depicted by the French artist Claude Monet in a series of paintings.

1 Genera
2 Gallery
3 Also see
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Genera

Barclaya
Euryale
Nuphar
Nymphaea
Ondinea
Victoria - Giant water lilies

Taxonomy

The genus Barclaya is sometimes given rank as its own family Barclayaceae on the basis of an extended perianth tube (combined sepals and petals) arising from the top of the ovary and by stamens that are joined basally. But recent work lends weight to keeping it in the Nymphaeaceae.

In the past Nymphaeaceae often have been treated to include Cabombaceae but this is often segregated. The sacred lotus family Nelumbonaceae was once thought to be a water lily, but is now recognized to be a highly modified eudicot in the order Proteales.

Potting New Water Lilies

Remove dead or damaged leaves from water lily plant. Trim off leaves and rotten section of the tuber. Pot the lilies in aquatic potting soil. Mix transplanting fertilizer into the aquatic potting soil. Once you have transplanted the water lily place it in an area of your pond that receives full sunlight. Place rocks over your water lily tuber. Start the water lilies near the water surface so that majority of foliage remains above water. Flowering can take from 6-8 weeks ([www.waterplant.com/potwaterlilies.html]). The water lilies will require heavy fertilization. Fertilize monthly using aquatic tablets or slow release aquatic fertilizers ([www.waterplant.com/potwaterlilies.html]).

Water Lily Propagation

Water lilies can be propagated when they are actively growing. Usually spring is a good time to propagate lilies. If the tuber has formed small bulbs on the sides called “eyes” these can be removed and transplanted to a smaller pot. These eyes are best grown in the greenhouse or under controlled conditions until the tubers are developed. Alternatively, these eyes can be left attached to the main tuber until mature and then transplanted ([www.waterplant.com/potwaterlilies.html]). When dividing the tuber remove the larger roots with a sharp knife. Trim away large leaves to ensure in aquatic soil mixed with transplanting fertilizer. Plant the water lilies in surface of the pond in sunlight. Place rocks in the pot so that the newly planted tuber remains in water ([www.waterplant.com/potwaterlilies.html]).

Invasive Water Lilies

The Mexican water lily also called the Banana Water Lily. This plant propagates vegetatively from and by seed. The species was introduced from Southeastern U.S. and Mexico in is invasive in the San Joaquin. The plant when mature has leaves from 10-28 cm wide and bright yellow flowers 6-12 cm in diameter. This plant can infest lakes, ponds, or slow moving water ways and is difficult to eradicate. Populations can be controlled by cutting top growth. Herbicides can also be used to control populations using glyphosate and fluridone (Krake 1999).

[edit] Gallery

	A bee pollinating a water lily	A painting of water lilies by Claude Monet.	Water lily at Hodges Gardens, Park and Wilderness Area.
Water lilies in Mombasa, Kenya.	A woman standing on the large lilypad of a victoria water lily. A piece of wood has been placed atop the leaf to distribute her weight.	Tropical water lily in Malaysia.	Water lily from India Taken at Auroville, Pondicherry, India
Water lilies at the Schonbrunn in Wien	A pink water lily in Sydney, Australia.	Nymphaea alba taken at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens	Water Lilies in Italy.