Nymphaea mexicana

Nymphaea mexicana subsp. var.	yellow waterlily, Mexican waterlily, banana waterlily
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The aquatic plant Nymphaea mexicana is known by the common names yellow waterlily, Mexican waterlily and banana waterlily. It is perhaps best known as a noxious weed in wetlands of the southern half of the United States, particularly in California. It is native to the Gulf Coast but it can easily invade similar aquatic ecosystems when it is introduced. The plant is attractive and has been introduced to new habitats for ornamental purposes.

The plant has thick rhizomes and long, spongy creeping stolons which bear bunches of small yellow roots that resemble miniature bananas. The plant can grow from seedlings or send out new shoots from its stolons. The large, flat leaves are green with purple or brown patterning, and float on the surface of the water. The floating lotus flowers have yellow petals and pointed, starlike, greenish-yellow sepals. The flowers close at night. The plant flowers during the summer, and also during spring and fall in warmer areas. Seeds are contained in green berries which grow underwater. It grows in marshes and readily invades canals and other shallow waterways, sometimes becoming a nuisance.

Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Nymphaea mexicana, Zucc. (C. mexicana, Coulter. N. flava, Leitner). Floating Lvs. ovate, margin obscurely and finely sinuate, dark green above, beautifully blotched with brown; under surface dark crimson-brown, with small blackish dots; when crowded the Lvs. rise 3-5 in. above the water, are orbicular, cup-shaped by overlapping of the straight sinus-margins, entire, 3-5 in. across, dark green and shining above, under surface bright green, with fine purplish brown mottlings: fls. 4 in. across, raised 4-5 in. above the water, bright canary- yellow, open from 11 A.M. to 4 P.M.; petals 23, grading in size and shape insensibly into the stamens, which are about 50, light golden yellow: rhizome erect, tuber-like, discoid, plane beneath, 3-5 in. diam.; runners terete, lain, thick, white, rooting at the tip and sending up Lvs.; the young plant flowers in a few weeks and again sends out runners. Fla., Mex.—Hardy as far north as New York "in 2 ft. of water, covered with boards and a few leaves." Mexican stock is stronger and blooms more freely than that from Fla. Rose considers them distinct species. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Cultivation

Pests and diseases

The Canvasback duck feeds on the banana-like roots of the plant.

Gallery

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

• w:Nymphaea mexicana. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
• Nymphaea mexicana QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)