Nymphaea immutabilis
| Nymphaea immutabilis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Flowering Nymphaea immutabilis at Mount Carbine, Queensland, Australia | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Order: | Nymphaeales |
| Family: | Nymphaeaceae |
| Genus: | Nymphaea |
| Subgenus: | Nymphaea subg. Anecphya |
| Species: | N. immutabilis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Nymphaea immutabilis S.W.L.Jacobs[2]
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_(W3).svg)
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| Nymphaea immutabilis is native to Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland, Australia[2] | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Nymphaea immutabilis (black-soil waterlily) is a species of waterlily native to the far north of Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and northern and eastern Queensland, Australia.[3][2]
Description
[edit]Vegetative characteristics
[edit]Nymphaea immutabilis is an annual or perennial plant with globose rhizomes.[4] The round, 70 cm wide leaves have dentate margins.[5][4]
Generative characteristics
[edit]The flowers are up to 30 cm in diameter, on pedicels or stalks up to 5 m long;[6] the outer petals are blue, grading to white inner petals.[7] The flowers extend up to 50 cm above the water surface.[5] The flowers have four sepals, and 34 petals. The androecium consists of 400 stamens. The gynoecium consists of 9-20 carpels.[4] The globose, 5 cm wide fruit bears numerous 4 mm long, and 2.5 mm wide, rounded seeds with trichomes arranged in irregular rows.[5] The immature seeds are red, but mature to brownish-grey.[8] The seeds have a mechanism of physiological dormancy.[9]
Cytology
[edit]The chromosome count is n = 42. The genome size is 1408.32 Mb.[10]
Reproduction
[edit]Generative reproduction
[edit]Flowering occurs from March to November.[5][4]
Taxonomy
[edit]Publication
[edit]It was first described by Surrey Wilfrid Laurance Jacobs in 1992.[2]
Type specimen
[edit]The type specimen was collected by S. Jacobs and J. Clarkson near Mareeba, Queensland, Australia on the 26th of July 1987.[4]
Placement within Nymphaea
[edit]It is placed in Nymphaea subgenus Anecphya.[9]
Separation of Nymphaea kimberleyensis
[edit]The subspecies Nymphaea immutabilis subsp. kimberleyensis S.W.L.Jacobs was described in 1992. Later in 2011, it was elevated to a separate species Nymphaea kimberleyensis (S.W.L.Jacobs) S.W.L.Jacobs & Hellq.[11][12]
Etymology
[edit]The specific epithet immutabilis, meaning unchanging, references the floral colouration, which does not change as the flower ages.[4]
Conservation
[edit]The NCA status of Nymphaea immutabilis is Special Least Concern (SL).[1] In the Northern Territory it is categorised as vulnerable.[13][14]
Ecology
[edit]Habitat
[edit]It occurs in swamps,[9] permanent, or temporary waters,[4] billabongs, streams, and rivers.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Queensland Government. (2022e, March 8). Species profile — Nymphaea immutabilis. Retrieved 2 January 2024, from https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species-search/details/?id=21929
- ^ a b c d e "Nymphaea immutabilis S.W.L.Jacobs". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "Species: Nymphaea immutabilis (Black-soil Waterlily)". Atlas of Living Australia. 1992-03-12. Retrieved 2025-07-13.
- ^ a b c d e f g Jacobs, S. W. L. (1992). "New species, lectotypes and synonyms of Australasian Nymphaea (Nymphaeaceae)." Telopea, 4(4), 635-641.
- ^ a b c d Stephens, K. M., Dowling, R. M. (2002). "Wetland Plants of Queensland: A Field Guide". p. 56. Kokosinsel (Keeling): CSIRO Publishing.
- ^ Lane-Poole, C.E. (1925). The Forest Resources of the Territories of Papua and New Guinea. Melbourne: Australian Government. p. 86.
- ^ "Nymphaea immutabilis subsp. immutabilis". International Waterlily Collection. Retrieved 2025-07-13.
- ^ a b Dalziell, E. L. (2016). "Seed biology and ex situ storage behaviour of Australian Nymphaea (water lilies): implications for conservation (Doctoral dissertation, PhD thesis. University of Western Australia, Perth, WA)".
- ^ a b c Dalziell, E. L., Baskin, C. C., Baskin, J. M., Young, R. E., Dixon, K. W., & Merritt, D. J. (2019). "Morphophysiological dormancy in the basal angiosperm order Nymphaeales." Annals of botany, 123(1), 95-106.
- ^ Chen, F., Liu, X., Yu, C., Chen, Y., Tang, H., & Zhang, L. (2017). "Water lilies as emerging models for Darwin's abominable mystery". Horticulture research, 4.
- ^ Jacobs, S. W., & Hellquist, C. B. (2011). "New species, possible hybrids and intergrades in Australian Nymphaea (Nymphaeaceae) with a key to all species." Telopea, 13(1-2), 233-243.
- ^ "Nymphaea kimberleyensis (S.W.L.Jacobs) S.W.L.Jacobs & Hellq". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ White, M., Albrecht, D., Duguid, A., Latz, P., & Hamilton, M. (2000). "Plant species and sites of botanical significance in the southern bioregions of the Northern Territory. Volume 1: significant vascular plants."
- ^ Fisher, A., Baker, B., & Woinarski, J. (2002). "Mitchell Grass Downs, Northern Territory."