Nymphaeales
-
What are Nymphaeales?
Nymphaeales, also known as the water lily order, is a group of flowering plants containing 3 families, 6 genera, and 74 species. These plants are commonly found in quiet freshwater habitats across the world, and water lilies, especially those of the genus Nymphaea, are cultivated globally for their aesthetic appeal.
The order includes the families Nymphaeaceae (water lilies), Cabombaceae (water shields and fanworts), and Hydatellaceae. All plants in the Nymphaeales order are aquatic, attached to the bottom of ponds or streams, with leaves and flowers that may be submerged, floating, or standing above the water. Sizes range from the small Cabomba to the large Nymphaea, which can have leaves up to 50 cm wide.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Which types of plants belong to the Nymphaeales order?
The Nymphaeales order, also known as the water lily order, contains 3 families, 6 genera, and 74 species of flowering plants.
The families within Nymphaeales include:
* Nymphaeaceae: Consisting of 3 genera and 58 species, this family includes the fragrant Nymphaea odorata and Nuphar.
* Cabombaceae: This family has 2 genera, Cabomba and Brasenia, known as water shields and fanworts.
* Hydatellaceae: Containing only the genus Hydatella, this family includes 12 species.All plants belonging to the Nymphaeales order are aquatic, and are typically found in quiet freshwater habitats. They vary in size from the small Cabomba to the large Nymphaea.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Where do Nymphaeales plants usually grow?
Nymphaeales, known as the water lily order, includes 3 families, 6 genera, and 74 species. These aquatic plants thrive in quiet freshwater habitats across much of the world.
These plants attach to the bottoms of ponds or streams, with leaves and flowers that may be submerged, floating, or standing above the water. Nymphaeales range from the small Cabomba (fanwort) to the large Nymphaea, which has leaves that can grow up to 50 cm wide. The largest water lily boasts impressive floating leaves that reach 2 meters in diameter and flowers 40 cm across. Many Nymphaea species and hybrids are cultivated in parks, gardens, and ponds in warm, temperate regions.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are the main characteristics of Nymphaeales plants?
Nymphaeales are aquatic flowering plants found in quiet freshwater habitats worldwide. Attached to pond or stream bottoms, their leaves and flowers can be submerged, floating, or standing above the water. They range from small, fragile Cabomba to Nymphaea, which can produce leaves 50 cm wide. Prized for attractive foliage and showy flowers, they are suited for pools, aquatic gardens, and aquariums.
The Nymphaeaceae family, the most commonly cultivated water lilies, includes the fragrant N. odorata and Nuphar. Some Nymphaeaceae genera have creeping rhizomes, while others have short, erect, buried stems. Their flowers occur singly from nodes of submerged stems and are radially symmetrical. Most are insect-pollinated, though some Nymphaea are self-pollinated or wind-pollinated.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How are Nymphaeales different from other flowering plants?
Nymphaeales, also known as water lilies, are aquatic flowering plants found in freshwater habitats worldwide. They differ from other flowering plants in several ways:
* They are attached to pond or stream bottoms, with leaves and flowers that can be submerged, floating, or standing above the water.
* They range in size from the small Cabomba to the large Nymphaea, which can cover a large area in one summer.
* Nymphaeales have attractive foliage and showy flowers, making them popular in pools, aquatic gardens, and aquariums.
* Some species can reproduce vegetatively, such as N. mexicana, which spreads by runners, and N. micrantha, which produces detachable plantlets.
* Flowers of Nymphaeaceae occur singly from nodes of submerged stems and rise to the surface of the water or higher, and their flowers are radially symmetrical.
* Flowers are typically insect-pollinated, though some Nymphaea species are self-pollinated or wind-pollinated.4 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Why are Nymphaeales important in the study of plant evolution?
The Nymphaeales, or water lilies, are important in the study of plant evolution because they are one of the earliest groups of angiosperms (flowering plants). DNA evidence suggests that the Nymphaeaceae are among the basalmost offshoots of flowering plants.
Their study provides insights into the evolution of key angiosperm characteristics, such as flower structure and pollination mechanisms. They also offer clues about the ecological conditions in which flowering plants first evolved.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Nymphaeales, the water lily order of flowering plants, containing 3 families, 6 genera, and 74 species. Members of the order are found in quiet freshwater habitats throughout most of the world. The aesthetic appeal of the water lilies, especially those of the genus Nymphaea, has led to their worldwide cultivation.
Nymphaeaceae (including the former family Barclayaceae), the water lily family, has 3 genera and 58 species. Cabombaceae, or the water shields and fanworts, is a closely related family with 2 genera, Cabomba and Brasenia. The last family, Hydatellaceae, contains 1 genus (Hydatella) and 12 species.
All plants of the Nymphaeales order are aquatic. They are attached to pond or stream bottoms, but whether their leaves and flowers are submerged, floating, or standing above the water varies. They range in size from the small, fragile Cabomba (fanwort), which has floating leaves less than 0.3 cm (0.1 inch) in diameter, to Nymphaea, which produce leaves 50 cm (about 18 inches) wide that can cover an area 2.5 meters (8 feet) in diameter in one summer. The largest water lily has impressive circular floating leaves that attain 2 meters (6.5 feet) in diameter and flowers 40 cm (about 15 inches) across.
" height="20" alt="HEW Logo">
Many members of the order are suited for pools, aquatic gardens, and aquariums, where they are prized for their attractive foliage and showy flowers. The submerged leaves, the starchy, horizontal creeping rhizomes, and the protein-rich seeds of the larger species have been used as food by humans throughout history. The petioles (leaf stalks) serve as cover for fish and holdfasts for their spawn, and hoofed wildlife also browse on the plant parts. The emergent leaves provide cover for aquatic birds, and the seeds of many species are food for fish and fowl. Because they grow rapidly and can clog lakes, several members of Nymphaeales provide an essential link in plant succession—from pond to swamp to wet prairie.
Nymphaeaceae
The numerous species and hybrids of Nymphaea are the most commonly cultivated water lilies. The fragrant N. odorata, native to the eastern United States, with 13-cm (5-inch) white flowers, and its cultivars (horticultural varieties) are widely grown in parks, gardens, and natural ponds in warm temperate regions. Nuphar (yellow pond lily) is noted for its globose flowers, which are often held above the water.
The genus Barclaya, with about two species, was formerly considered a separate family, Barclayaceae. It is distinguished from other members of Nymphaeaceae by an extended perianth tube (combined sepals and petals) arising from the top of the ovary and by stamens that are joined basally. Barclaya is native to tropical Asia and Indonesia.
Some Nymphaeaceae genera have extensive creeping rhizomes, buried or superficial. Others have short, erect, buried stems, either with or without associated floating horizontal branches. The variously shaped leaf blades that arise from the submerged rhizomes may spread over the surface of the water or stand above the water by means of elongate petioles. Some species are able to reproduce vegetatively; N. mexicana spreads by runners, and N. micrantha of western Africa produces detachable plantlets at the junction of the petiole and the blade.
The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.
SUBSCRIBE
Flowers of Nymphaeaceae occur singly from nodes of submerged stems and rise to the surface of the water or higher, and their flowers are radially symmetrical. Flowers are insect-pollinated, except in some flowers of Nymphaea that are self-pollinated in closed flowers and the unique wind-pollinated N. ondinea.
Cabombaceae
Brasenia schreberi (water shield) and the seven species of Cabomba constitute the family Cabombaceae. Several species of Cabomba are distributed in eastern and southeastern North America and in much of northern South America. In addition to a few small floating leaves, Cabomba has feathery leaves along a more or less erect submerged stem.
In Cabomba and Brasenia the single carpel matures into a dry follicle (opening along one seam). Leathery several-chambered berries, which eventually rupture because of enlarged seeds, are produced by the other members of Nymphaeaceae. These fruits develop underwater even when the flower opens above water. The seeds of all genera are distributed passively, most being released to float in water until they become anchored in the soil substratum.
Hydatellaceae
Only recently has the enigmatic family Hydatellaceae been shown to belong in this order. The sole genus, Hydatella (formerly Trithuria), has about 10 species native to India, New Zealand, and Australia. They are clumped grasslike aquatic herbs that may be submerged, with tiny flowers aggregated into stalked headlike clusters. Four of the species are dioecious (separate male and female plants), and the others have various arrangements of male and female flowers on the same plant. In these ways, Hydatella differs greatly from the broader-leaved and larger-flowered members of the other two families in the order.