Nymphaea abhayana is a species of waterlily endemic to India.

Description Vegetative characteristics Nymphaea abhayana is an annual aquatic herb. The leaves are almost all submerged. The lamina is 13-15 cm long, and 16-18 cm wide. The green petioles are glabrous. Generative characteristics The 5-6 cm wide flowers float, but never extend above the water surface. The four 3.7-4 cm long, 0.8-1.2 cm wide sepals display prominent venation. The seven 2.9-3.5 cm long, 0.5-0.7 cm wide petals display blueish-purple colouration. The androecium consists of 13 stamens. The flowers have 6-7 stigmatic rays. The globose, 0.7-2 cm wide fruit bears globose seeds.

Reproduction Generative reproduction Flowering and fruiting occurs from October to December.

Taxonomy Publication It was first described by Anurag Chowdhury and Monoranjan Chowdhury in 2016.Nymphaea abhayana A.Chowdhury & M.Chowdhury. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved December 3, 2024, from https://www.ipni.org/n/77174489-1

Type specimen The type specimen of Nymphaea abhayana was collected by Anurag et al. in Gorumara National Park, West Bengal, India, on the 16th of November 2014.

Placement within Nymphaea It is close to Nymphaea nouchali.

Etymology The specific epithet abhayana honours Prof. Abhaya Prasad Das of the University of North Bengal and Rajiv Gandhi University.Abhaya DAS | Professor | MSc, MPhil, PhD, FLS: Retired Professor | Research profile. (n.d.). ResearchGate. Retrieved December 29, 2023, from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Abhaya-Das

Conservation Nymphaea abhayana has a very narrow distribution.Chowdhury, A., & Chowdhury, M. (2016). "Nymphaea abhayana sp. nov. of Nymphaeaceae from Duars of West Bengal, India." International Journal of Plant Sciences, 5(4), 57-60. It is a rare species.Chowdhury, A. (2015). "Studies on the diversity and ethnic uses of wetland vascular plants in Terai and Duars of West Bengal, India (Doctoral dissertation, University of North Bengal").

Ecology Habitat It occurs in ephemeral aquatic habitats, which dry up in December.

References