Nymphaea manipurensis Asharani & Biseshwori, 2014

Devi, Sagolsem Asharani & Thongam, Biseshwori, 2014, Two new taxa of Nymphaea (Nymphaeaceae) from Manipur, India, Phytotaxa 188 (2), pp. 112-117 : 112-113

I. Nymphaea manipurensis Asharani & Biseshwori , spec.nov. ( Fig. 1 )

Similar to N. nouchali Burm. f., but differs in having tetragonal shape thalamus, sepal thick and leathery; petals 4–7, white; stamens 21–34, sterile appendage 0.8–1.0 × 0.3–0.5 cm; very short growing period, only for three months i.e., July to September.

Type: — INDIA, Manipur: Imphal West district, Narankonjin, c. 726 m, 24043 ′49.7″ N, 93055 ′17.5″ E, 19 July 2011, S. Asharani, IBSD /N- 10 (holotype: CAL!; isotype: Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development, Imphal!) .

Description: —Annual aquatic, rooted, floating-leaved herb. Rhizomes erect; short, 4–8 cm, white with greyish dots inside. Leaf blades subpeltate, elliptic-orbicular, broadly acute, slightly undulate along margins, 11–25 × 10–24 cm, deep green above, purplish brown below, glabrous on both surfaces, cleft to petiole apex; basal lobes equal or subequal, diverging, acute or acuminate; sinus about 10 cm long; primary veins raised beneath, 10–14, radial. Petiole: 40–80 cm length, brownish green, glabrous. Flowers floating, 4–5 cm in diameter; receptacle glabrous; pedicel brownish green, glabrous. Sepals tetragonally inserted on receptacle, oblonglanceolate, acute and cucullate at apex, entire, 4.0–7.5 × 1.2–1.8 cm, obscurely veined, deep green outside, greenish white inside, glabrous. Petals 4–7, white; the outer oblanceolate-elliptic, acute, 4.0–7.5 × 0.8–1.4 cm, midvein prominent only at base; the inner elliptic, acute, 3.0–4.5 × 0.5–0.8 cm. Stamens 21–34; outer stamens 0.8–1.2 × 0.5–0.8 cm, inner ones 0.2–0.5 × 0.1–0.2 cm; anthers 0.5– 1.0 cm long, yellow; sterile appendage in outer stamens only, 0.8–1.0 × 0.3–0.5 cm. Carpels 12–14, free laterally; stigmatic surface 1.0–2.0 cm in diameter, concave with a minute central core, bright yellow; the appendages triangular, bright yellow, incurved in later-day flowers. Fruit spherical, approx. 2.5 cm in diameter, with persistent sepals. Seeds ellipsoidal, pink while young, brown when matured, 16–18 × 10–12 mm.

Distribution: —The species has been recorded in a few sites in the wetland areas of Manipur, India.

Phenology: —Growing and flowering period July–September.

Ecology: — Nymphaea manipurensis grows in wasteland area of Manipur, India. Its population is decreasing due to fast conversion of the natural wetlands to paddy cultivation land.

Etymology: —The specific epithet is assigned in honour of a state of India, Manipur, which is the natural habitat of N. manipurensis . This area provides an important contribution of plant and animal species to the Indo-Burmese biodiversity hotspot.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map of Manipur showing sites of Nymphaea manipurensis (Narinkonjin) and N. manipurensis var. versicolor (Yaralpat).