Nymphaea spp. Nymphaeaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 12 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: water lily

French: nénuphar

Maori (Cook Islands): riri moe vai, riri vai

Habit:  aquatic herb

Description:  "Herbs with thick rhizomes; leaves alternate, appearing spirally arranged, arising from the rhizome, the blade simple, laterally attached or attached some distance from the margin of a sinus, usually floating; flowers long-pedunculate, solitary, arising from the rhizome; sepals usually 4, greenish; petals numerous, pink, white or variously colored, conspicuous; stamens numerous, transitional with the petals, the filaments flattened (petaloid); pistil 1, the ovary with several to many carpels and locules; stigmas several to many, broad, petaloid; fruit a baccate capsule, many-seeded, tardily dehiscent"  (Welsh, 1998; p. 205).

Nymphea capensis Thunberg:  "Herb, perennial, aquatic, rooting in the mud and forming tubers.  Leaves simple, alternate, leaf blade heart-shaped to nearly round, 16-25 cm across on a long petiole, floating on the surface of the water.  Flowers anytime during the year; flowers solitary on long stalks rising above the water.  Corolla of numerous, free, lanceolate, blue, white, pink, or red petals 4-7 cm long, surrounding the numerous yellow stamens and staminodes.  Fruit a many-seeded spongy berry, developing underwater after the passé flower becomes submerged"  (Whistler, 2000; p. 331).

Habitat/ecology:  Aquatic: Freshwater lakes, ponds, ditches, canals, marshes, and slow-moving streams.  In Fiji, "locally abundantly naturalized in roadside ditches, etc."  (Smith, 1981; pp. 146-147).

Propagation:  Seed, rhizomes

Native range:  Africa

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Saipan	Saipan Island		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 94) ?
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island		McCormack, Gerald (2013) N. capensis
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Mangaia Island		McCormack, Gerald (2013) N. capensis
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Mangaia Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 87)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Ma‘uke Island		McCormack, Gerald (2013) N. capensis
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Ma‘uke Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 93) Voucher: Flynn 7077 (PTBG, BISH, US)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Ma‘uke Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 400) Taxon name on voucher: Nymphaea sp.
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2013) N. capensis
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 69)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008) Nymphaea capensis var. zanzibarensis
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy (2010) (p. 21) Nymphia sp.
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 76)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced cultivated	Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (p. 118) Vouchers cited: F.R. Fosberg 26256 (BISH), F.R. Fosberg 58446 (BISH), N.L.H. Krauss 1889 (BISH), M. Takamatsu 1057 (BISH)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1946) (voucher ID: BISH 649859) Taxon name on voucher: Nymphaea (Genus of Nymphaeaceae)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 147) N. capensis and var. rosea. Vouchers cited: DA 17323, DA 957
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1969) (voucher ID: BISH 33714) Taxon name on voucher: Nymphaea capensis Thunb.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1969) (voucher ID: BISH 698743) Taxon name on voucher: Nymphaea capensis Thunb.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Huahine Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (2004) (p. 324) N. nouchali N.L. Burman var. caerulea (M.J.C.L. Savigny) B. Verdcourt
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 323-324) Nymphea lotus L., Nymphea x baubenyana W.T. Baxter ex C.G.B. Daubeny
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island		University of California (2006) Nymphea capensis
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Nymphaea sp. Voucher cited: J. Raynal 17995 (PAP)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 205) N. capensis: Voucher cited: Moore 191, BRY 26397; N. lotus: Voucher cited: Moore 191, BRY 26326
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 323-324) N. lotus L.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Taha‘a Island	introduced cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 205) N. capensis: Voucher cited: Grant 5187
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 205) N. lotus, N. capensis: Voucher cited: Grant 5187
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 323-325) N. lotus L., N. nouchali N.L. Burman var. caerulea (M.J.C.L. Savigny) B. Verdcourt, N. x baubenyana W.T. Baxter ex C.G.B. Daubeny
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1931) (voucher ID: BISH 18498) Taxon name on voucher: Nymphaea rubra Roxb.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tupai Island	introduced	Sachet, M.-H. (1983) (p. 17)
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rurutu Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J. Florence 6205 (PAP) Ornementale échappé, se naturalisant.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced invasive	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 276)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 76)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Herbarium Pacificum Staff (1998) (p. 11) N. caerulea Savigny; voucher cited: A. Engilis, Jr. & F.A. Reed 92-12 (BISH, US)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Herbarium Pacificum Staff (1998) (p. 11) N. capensis var. zanzibarensis (Caspary) Conard; voucher cited: L. Hume 378 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Staples, George W./Imada, Clyde T./Herbst, Derral R. (2003) (pp. 15-16) N. capensis Thunb., voucher cited: C. Imada, T. Flynn, M. Silbernagle & T. Alexander 2000-26 (BARC, BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2003) (p. 17) Nymphaea x daubenyana W. T. Baxter; West Maui. Vouchers cited: Oppenheimer H129901 (BISH), Oppenheimer H40139 (PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Staples, George W./Imada, Clyde T./Herbst, Derral R. (2003) (p. 16) Nymphaea lotus L., vouchers cited: V. Daubenspeck s.n. (BISH 687341), C. Imada, L. Roth, M. Silbernagle 2000-8 (BISH), C. Imada, L. Roth, M. Silbernagle 2000-9 (BISH), C. Imada 2000-16 (BARC, BISH), C. Imada 2000-17 (BARC, BISH)
Nauru Nauru Island	Nauru Island	introduced cultivated	Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. (1994) (p. 175) Vouchers cited: Fosberg 58684 (US), Thaman & Manner 251 (SUVA)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 107) Nymphea capensis Thunb.; voucher cited: MacKee 37358; Nymphea sp.; vouchers cited: Hoogland & Jérémie 12762, MacKee 46224
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1978) (voucher ID: BISH 432365) Taxon name on voucher: Nymphaea (Genus of Nymphaeaceae)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 81)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1968) (voucher ID: BNM 582) Taxon name on voucher: Nymphaea spp.
Papua New Guinea Bismarck Archipelago	Bismarck Archipelago		Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty] (1984) (p. 177) Nymphaea pubescens Willd.
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 140) Nymphaea nouchali Burm. f. and Nymphaea stellata Willd. In shallow lakes.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 67)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	introduced invasive cultivated	Shine, C./Reaser, J. K./Gutierrez, A. T., eds. (2003) (p. 166) Nymphia giagantia. Moderate invader.
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 54)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Queensland Herbarium (2002) (p. 5) Nymphaea caerulea subsp. zanaibarensis (blue lotus) and Nymphaea mexicana (yellow waterlily)
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 67, 78) N. lotus
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 67, 78) N. lotus
Negara Brunei Darussalam Brunei	Brunei (Negara Brunei Darussalam)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 67, 78) N. lotus
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 67, 78) N. lotus
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 64) Nymphaea rubra Roxb. ex Andrews, cultivated only
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 67, 78) N. lotus
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 67, 78) N. lotus

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	introduced cultivated	Swarbrick, J. T. (1997) (p. 121)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Nymphaea spp., please let us know.