Nymphaea manipurensis var. versicolor is a variety of the water lily species Nymphaea manipurensisNymphaea manipurensis var. versicolor Asharani & Biseshwori. (n.d.-d). WFO Plant List. Retrieved June 19, 2025, from https://wfoplantlist.org/taxon/wfo-0001385314-2024-12?page=1 endemic to Manipur, India.
Description Vegetative characteristics Nymphaea manipurensis var. versicolor is a rhizomatous plant with 6–10 cm big rhizomes. The petiolate, thick, elliptic to suborbicular leaf with an undulate margin and a 12 cm deep sinus is 15–35 cm long, and 13–32 cm wide. The brown petiole is 50–100 cm long. Generative characteristics The creamy white, 5–8 cm wide flowers with a tetragonus receptacle float on the water surface. The mottled green, coriaceous, thick, 5.5–8.5 cm long, and 4.0–5.0 cm wide sepals displays streaked patterns on the abaxial side. The flower has 6–9 petals. The androecium consists of 31–36 stamens. The gynoecium consists of 15–20 carpels.
Taxonomy It was described by Sagolsem Asharani Devi and Biseshwori Thongam in 2014.Nymphaea manipurensis var. versicolor Asharani & Biseshwori. (n.d.). Plants of the World Online. Retrieved June 19, 2025, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77144036-1 The type specimen was collected by S. Asharani in Imphal East district, Manipur, India on the 8th of September 2011.Nymphaea manipurensis var. versicolor Asharani & Biseshwori. (n.d.-c). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved June 19, 2025, from https://www.ipni.org/n/77144036-1 It is placed in the subgenus Nymphaea subg. Brachyceras.Devi, S. A., Thongam, B., & Handique, P. J. (2016). Multivariate analysis of Nymphaea (Nymphaeaceae) taxa in Manipur (India) through morphological variables. Brazilian Journal of Botany, 39, 359-366. Some sources treat it as a synonym of Nymphaea nouchali var. versicolor.Nymphaea nouchali var. versicolor (Sims) R.Ansari & Jeeja. (n.d.). Catalogue of Life. Retrieved June 19, 2025, from https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/8VJNXNymphaea manipurensis var. versicolor Asharani & Biseshwori. (n.d.-b). GBIF | Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved June 19, 2025, from https://www.gbif.org/species/8328424Hassler, M. (n.d.). Nymphaea manipurensis var. versicolor. Worldplants. Retrieved June 19, 2025, from https://www.worldplants.de/world-plants-complete-list/complete-plant-list/#plantUid-16470
Etymology The varietal name versicolor means variously colouredA Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin. (n.d.). Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved June 19, 2025, from https://www.mobot.org/mobot/latindict/keyDetail.aspx?keyWord=versicolor and refers to the streaked abaxial side of the sepals.Sagolsem, A. D., & Thongam, B. (2014). Two new taxa of Nymphaea (Nymphaeaceae) from Manipur, India. Phytotaxa, 188(2), 112-117.
Ecology It occurs in wetland areas.
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