Nymphaea petersiana is a species of the genus Nymphaea native to the region spanning from Tanzania to South Africa.
Description Vegetative characteristics Nymphaea petersiana is an aquatic, rhizomatous, perennial plant with a tuberous rhizome.Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Species information: Nymphaea nouchali var. petersiana. https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=123470, retrieved 12 December 2024 The suborbicular to elliptic, 17–40 cm long, and 16–32 cm wide leaves have a sinuate to dentate margin.Gilg, E. (1908). Nymphaeaceae africanae. Botanische Jahrbücher Fur Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte Und Pflanzengeographie, 41(5), 351–366. The adaxial leaf surface is green and smooth, and the abaxial leaf surface is purple, red, or green with prominent venation. Generative characteristics The 6-12 cm wide, blue, white, or pink flowers emerge above the water surface. The flowers have four petals, and 14-20 petals. The androecium consists of 100 stamens with a white apical appendage. The gynoecium consists of 16–20 carpels. The globose, 2 cm long, and 3 cm wide fruit bears pubescent, ellipsoid, 1 mm long seeds.Nymphaea petersiana Klotzsch [family NYMPHAEACEAE]. (n.d.). JSTOR. Retrieved December 12, 2024, from https://plants.jstor.org/stable/10.5555/al.ap.flora.fz342
Taxonomy Publication It was first described as Nymphaea petersiana Klotzsch by Johann Friedrich Klotzsch in 1861. Later, it was included in the species Nymphaea nouchali Burm.f. as the variety Nymphaea nouchali var. petersiana (Klotzsch) Verdc. published by Bernard Verdcourt in 1989. This placement has been criticised as highly unnatural, as Nymphaea petersiana turned out to be a member of the subgenus Nymphaea subg. Lotos and is therefore unrelated to Nymphaea nouchali.Roestel, J. A., Wiersema, J. H., Jansen, R. K., Borsch, T., & Gruenstaeudl, M. (2024). On the importance of sequence alignment inspections in plastid phylogenomics–an example from revisiting the relationships of the water‐lilies. Cladistics.Borsch, T., Hilu, K. W., Wiersema, J. H., Löhne, C., Barthlott, W., & Wilde, V. (2007). Phylogeny of Nymphaea (Nymphaeaceae): evidence from substitutions and microstructural changes in the chloroplast trnT-trnF region. International Journal of Plant Sciences, 168(5), 639-671.Dkhar, J., Kumaria, S., Rao, S. R., & Tandon, P. (2010). Molecular phylogenetics and taxonomic reassessment of four Indian representatives of the genus Nymphaea. Aquatic Botany, 93(2), 135-139.Borsch, T., Löhne, C., & Wiersema, J. (2008). Phylogeny and evolutionary patterns in Nymphaeales: integrating genes, genomes and morphology. Taxon, 57(4), 1052-4E.Borsch, T., Loehne, C., Mbaye, M. S., & Wiersema, J. (2011). Towards a complete species tree of Nymphaea: shedding further light on subg. Brachyceras and its relationships to the Australian water-lilies. Telopea, 13(1-2), 193-217.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.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. The leaves of Nymphaea petersiana resemble those of Nymphaea subg. Lotos in respect to the dentate margin and raised leaf venation on the abaxial leaf surface, but the flowers closely resemble those of Nymphaea subg. Brachyceras.
Etymology The specific epithet petersiana honours Wilhelm Peters (1815-1883).Flora of Mozambique: Species information: Nymphaea nouchali var. petersiana. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16, 2024, from https://www.mozambiqueflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=123470Nymphaea petersiana | CasaBio. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16, 2024, from https://casabio.org/taxa/nymphaea-petersiana
Ecology Habitat It occurs in pools, rivers, and lakes.
Use The tubers are eaten in Malawi.Chawanje, C. M. (1998). Nutrient and Antinutrient Content of an Underexploited Malawian Water Tuber Nymphaea petersiana (Nyika). https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstreams/a5f735df-712a-4635-9081-c1435e8fc550/download
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