''Nymphaea elleniae'' is a species of waterlily native to Papua New Guinea, and North Queensland, Australia.
Description
Vegetative characteristics
''Nymphaea elleniae'' is a perennial plant with elongate rhizomes. Mature floating leaves are 22 cm long, and 18 cm wide.
Generative characteristics
The flowers, which are only open during daytime, can extend up to 20 cm above the water surface. The four 7 cm long sepals have an acute to obtuse apex. The 25 lanceolate petals have an acute to obtuse apex. The androecium consists of 100 stamens. The gynoecium consists of 11-22 carpels. The globose, 2.5 cm wide fruit bears numerous glabrous, elliptical, 1.75-2.5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide seeds.
Reproduction
Generative reproduction
Flowering occurs from April to December.
Taxonomy
Publication
It was first described by
Surrey Wilfrid Laurance Jacobs
Surrey Wilfrid Laurance Jacobs (born 29 April 1946 in Sydney - died 26 November 2009) was an Australian botanist
Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, thei ...
in 1992.
Type specimen
The type specimen was collected by S. Jacobs & J. Clarkson in
Jardine River
The Jardine River, formally known as Deception River, is the largest river of the Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, Australia.
Course
The headwaters of the river rise southwest of Helby Hill in the Great Dividing Range and flow in a ...
, Queensland, Australia on the 6th of August 1987.
Placement within ''Nymphaea''
It is placed in ''Nymphaea'' subgenus ''Anecphya''.
[Borsch, T., Löhne, C., & Wiersema, J. (2008)]
"Phylogeny and evolutionary patterns in Nymphaeales: integrating genes, genomes and morphology."
Taxon, 57(4), 1052-4E.[Löhne, C., Yoo, M. J., Borsch, T., Wiersema, J., Wilde, V., Bell, C. D., ... & Soltis, P. S. (2008)]
"Biogeography of Nymphaeales: extant patterns and historical events."
Taxon, 57(4), 1123-19E.[Loehne, C., Borsch, T., & Wiersema, J. H. (2007)]
"Phylogenetic analysis of Nymphaeales using fast-evolving and noncoding chloroplast markers."
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 154(2), 141-163.
Etymology
The specific epithet ''elleniae'' refers to Ellen A. Jacobs, the daughter of Surrey Wilfrid Laurance Jacobs.
[Jacobs, S. W. L. (1992)]
"New species, lectotypes and synonyms of Australasian ''Nymphaea'' (Nymphaeaceae)."
Telopea, 4(4), 635-641.
Conservation
The
NCA
NCA may refer to:
Businesses and organisations Australia
* National Capital Authority, a government authority for development planning of the Capital Territory
* National Crime Authority, defunct investigative agency
European Union
* National Co ...
status of ''Nymphaea elleniae'' is Special Least Concern.
Ecology
Habitat
It is found in up to 5 m deep waters.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q17253198
elleniae
Flora of Australia
Flora of Papua New Guinea
Plants described in 1992