Nymphoides

Nymphoides, or floatingheart, is a genus of aquatic flowering plants in the family Menyanthaceae. The genus name refers to their resemblance to the water lily Nymphaea. Nymphoides are aquatic plants with submerged roots and floating leaves that hold the small flowers above the water surface. Flowers are sympetalous, most often divided into five lobes (petals). The petals are either yellow or white, and may be adorned with lateral wings or covered in small hairs. The inflorescence consists of either an umbellate cluster of flowers or a lax raceme, with internodes occurring between generally paired flowers.
Species of Nymphoides are sold as aquarium plants, including the "banana plant", N. aquatica and the "water snowflake", N. indica. Species native to the United States are N. cordata in the northeast and N. aquatica in the southeast. Nymphoides peltata is native to Europe and Asia, but can be found in the United States as an invasive aquatic weed. The non-native species N. cristata and N. indica also reportedly occur in Florida (Jacono 2000).
Nymphoides hydrophylla slim stem (spear) are used as vegetable at Meinong District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Numerous species of Nymphoides grow in Australia, and others exist in Africa, America, and Asia.
Species
There are approximately 50 species of Nymphoides, including:
Pantropical:
Nymphoides indica (L.) Kuntze
Africa:
Nymphoides bosseri A.Raynal
Nymphoides brevipedicellata (Vatke) A.Raynal
Nymphoides elegans A.Raynal
Nymphoides ezannoi Berhaut
Nymphoides forbesiana (Griseb.) Kuntze
Nymphoides guineensis A.Raynal
Nymphoides humilis A.Raynal
Nymphoides milnei A.Raynal
Nymphoides moratiana A.Raynal
Nymphoides rautaneni (N.E.Br.) A.Raynal
Nymphoides tenuissima A.Raynal
Nymphoides thunbergiana (Griseb.) Kuntze
North America:
Nymphoides aquatica (J.F.Gmel.) Kuntze
Nymphoides cordata (Elliott) Fernald
Central and South America:
Nymphoides fallax Ornduff
Nymphoides flaccida L.Sm.
Nymphoides grayana (Griseb.) Kuntze
Nymphoides herzogii A.Galàn-Mera & G.Navarro
Nymphoides humboldtiana (Kunth) Kuntze
Nymphoides microphylla (A.St.-Hil.) Kuntze
Nymphoides verrucosa (R.E.Fries)A.Galàn-Mera & G.Navarro
Eurasia:
Nymphoides peltata (S.G.Gmel.) Kuntze
Asia:
Nymphoides balakrishnanii P.Biju, Josekutty, Haneef & Augustine
Nymphoides coreana (Léveille) Hara
Nymphoides hastata (Dop) Kerr
Nymphoides hydrophylla (Lour.) Kuntze
Nymphoides krishnakesara K.T.Joseph & Sivar.
Nymphoides lungtanensis S.P.Li, T.H.Hsieh & C.C.Lin
Nymphoides macrospermum Vasudevan
Nymphoides siamensis (Ostenf.) Kerr
Nymphoides sivarajanii K.T.Joseph
Nymphoides tonkinensis (Dop) P.H.Ho
Asia and Australia:
Nymphoides aurantiaca (Dalzell) Kuntze
Nymphoides parvifolia (Wall.) Kuntze
Australia:
Nymphoides beaglensis Aston
Nymphoides crenata (F.Muell.) Kuntze
Nymphoides disperma Aston
Nymphoides elliptica Aston
Nymphoides exigua (F.Muell.) Kuntze
Nymphoides exiliflora (F.Muell.) Kuntze
Nymphoides furculifolia Specht
Nymphoides geminata (R.Br.) Kuntze
Nymphoides hydrocharioides (F.Muell.) Kuntze
Nymphoides montana Aston
Nymphoides planosperma Aston
Nymphoides quadriloba Aston
Nymphoides simulans Aston
Nymphoides spinulosperma Aston
Nymphoides spongiosa Aston
Nymphoides stygia (J.M.Black) H.Eichler
Nymphoides subacuta Aston
Nymphoides triangularis Aston
References
Jacono, C. 2000. Know Nymphoides. Aquaphyte 22 (supplemental insert)
Nymphoides minima
Asterales genera