''Nymphaea paganuccii'' is a species of waterlily endemic to Brazil.

Description

Vegetative characteristics

''Nymphaea paganuccii'' is an aquatic herb. It has cylindrical tubers, which are not

stolon In biology, a stolon ( from Latin ''wikt:stolo, stolō'', genitive ''stolōnis'' – "branch"), also known as a runner, is a horizontal connection between parts of an organism. It may be part of the organism, or of its skeleton. Typically, animal ...

iferous. The glabrous, green, non-brittle petioles have four primary central and four secondary peripheral air canals. The elliptic, suborbicular to orbicular leaf blade has a flat and entire margin. The blade is 15.3–19.8 cm long and 10–17.3 cm wide.

Generative characteristics

The nocturnal flowers float on the water surface. The non-brittle, brownish, glabrous peduncle has six primary central and 12 secondary peripheral air canals. The ovoid, smooth, pilose seeds have trichomes arranged in continuous longitudinal lines. The seeds are 1–1.2 mm long and 0.7–0.8 mm wide.

Reproduction

Vegetative reproduction

Both stolons and proliferating pseudanthia are absent.de Lima, C. T., Machado, I. C., & Giulietti, A. M. (2021)
"Nymphaeaceae of Brasil."
Sitientibus série Ciências Biológicas, 21.Pellegrini, M. O. O. & Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. (n.d.-b). ''Nymphaea paganuccii'' C.T.Lima & Giul. Flora E Funga Do Brasil. Retrieved December 17, 2023, from https://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/FB623384

Generative reproduction

Flowering and fruiting has been observed in the month of July. Sexual reproduction plays a significant role in this species.

Taxonomy

It was first described by C.T.Lima and

Ana Maria Giulietti Ana Maria Giulietti Harley (born 1945) is a Brazilian biochemist, botanist, and educator known for researching ''Eriocaulaceae'', as well as her work at the University of São Paulo, State University of Feira de Santana, and Vale Institute of Tech ...

in 2021.

Type specimen

The type specimen was collected by C.T. Lima and L. Lima at depths of 1-3 m in a lagoon by the

Tapajós The Tapajós ( ) is a river in Brazil. It runs through the Amazon Rainforest and is a major tributary of the Amazon River. When combined with the Juruena River, the Tapajós is approximately long. Prior to a drastic increase in illegal gold mi ...

river of the Santarém municipality in the state

Pará Pará () is a Federative units of Brazil, state of Brazil, located in northern Brazil and traversed by the lower Amazon River. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins (state), Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas (Brazilian st ...

, Brazil on the 18th of July 2011.

Placement within ''Nymphaea''

It is placed in ''Nymphaea'' subg. ''Hydrocallis''.

Etymology

The specific epithet ''paganuccii'' honours Prof. Dr. Luciano Paganucci de Queiroz of the

State University of Feira de Santana The State University of Feira de Santana (, UEFS) is a public institution of higher education in Brazil, based in the city of Feira de Santana, Bahia. Until the 1990s, it was also the only university in this city. Currently, the university has ...

, Brazil.

Ecology

Habitat

It occurs in the aquatic habitats of the Amazon rainforest. The depth of the lagoon habitat in the type locality fluctuates based on precipitation in the region, with a complete dry period occurring between August and December. It occurs

sympatric In biology, two closely related species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus frequently encounter each other. An initially interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct spe ...

ally with several other ''Nymphaea'' species, namely ''

Nymphaea amazonum ''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 introduc ...

'', ''

Nymphaea pedersenii ''Nymphaea pedersenii'' is a species of waterlily native to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Uruguay. Description Vegetative characteristics ''Nymphaea pedersenii'' has ovoid to subglobose tubers. The broadly elliptic leaf blade is up to 31 cm ...

'', ''

Nymphaea rapinii ''Nymphaea rapinii'' is a species of waterlily endemic to Brazil. Description Vegetative characteristics ''Nymphaea rapinii'' is an aquatic herb with stoloniferous, cylindrical tubers. The reddish-purple, glabrous, non-brittle, petioles have two ...

'', and ''

Nymphaea lingulata ''Nymphaea lingulata'' is a species of waterlily native to Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. Description Vegetative characteristics ''Nymphaea lingulata'' is an aquatic herbPellegrini, M. O. O. & Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. (n.d.-b). ''Nymp ...

''.

Pollination

Beetles of the genus ''

Cyclocephala ''Cyclocephala'' is a genus of scarab beetles from the subfamily Dynastinae (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae). Beetles of this genus occur from southeastern Canada to Argentina, India and the West Indies. Adults of this genus are nocturnal or crepuscu ...

'' visit the flowers of ''Nymphaea paganuccii'' and have been trapped within them, indicating pollination by these beetles.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q123905483 paganuccii Flora of Brazil Endemic flora of Brazil Flora of Southern America Plants described in 2021