page_title: Nymphaea
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Nymphaea / Description
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Deutsch: Querschnitt eines Schwimmblattes von Nympheae alba, Feinschnittpräparat, Durchlicht bei 400x. E1: obere Epidermis, E2: untere Epidermis, P: Palisadengewebe, B: Leitbündel, M: Schwammgewebe, I: Interzellularraum, S: Sklerenchym. English: Cross-section of a floating leaf of Nympheae alba, fine-cut preparation, transmitted light, 400x magnification.
context_page_description: Nymphaea is a genus of hardy and tender aquatic plants in the family Nymphaeaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Many species are cultivated as ornamental plants, and many cultivars have been bred. Some taxa occur as introduced species where they are not native, and some are weeds. Plants of the genus are known commonly as water lilies, or waterlilies in the United Kingdom. The genus name is from the Greek νυμφαία, nymphaia and the Latin nymphaea, which mean "water lily" and were inspired by the nymphs of Greek and Latin mythology.
context_section_description: Water lilies are aquatic rhizomatous perennial herbs, sometimes with stolons, as well. The stem is angular and erect.
  The leaves grow from the rhizome on long petioles(stalk that attaches the leaf blade to the stem). Floating round leaves of waterlily grow up to 12 inches across. The disc shaped leaves are notched and split to the stem in a V-shape at the centre, and are often purple underneath. Most of them float on the surface of the water. The blades have smooth or spine-toothed edges, and they can be rounded or pointed. The flowers rise out of the water or float on the surface, opening during the day or at night. Many species of Nymphaea display protogynous flowering. The temporal separation of these female and male phases is physically reinforced by flower opening and closing, so the first flower opening displays female pistil and then closes at the end of the female phase, and reopens with male stamens. Each has at least eight petals in shades of white, pink, blue, or yellow. Many stamens are at the center. Water lily flowers are entomophilous, meaning they are pollinated by insects, often beetles. The fruit is berry-like and borne on a curving or coiling peduncle.
  Plant reproduce by root tubers and seeds.
caption: A bright-field micrograph of a cross-section of a floating leaf of Nymphaea alba.
  E1: upper epidermE2: lower epidermP: palisade mesophyllM: spongy mesophyllB: vascular bundleI: intercellular gapS: sclerenchyma
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