Reproductive Biology of Nymphaea thermarum
Flowers of Nymphaea thermaurm are hermaphroditic. Like all other members of the the family Nymphaeaceae, the flowers open and close over the course of several days. However, unlike most other waterlilies where male and female function occur on different days, in N. thermarum pollen release overlaps with the female phase (which is marked with the secretion of a prominent drop of fluid that covers the receptive stigmatic surface).
This has important implications for the evolution and cultivation of this species:
- N. thermarum can, and is likely predisposed to, self-fertilize. This may mean that remaining populations have little genetic diversity.
- Flowers can be emasculated by removing the anthers at least 24 hours before the bud first opens.
Read more about the reproductive biology, and seed development, of this species:
Povilus, R. A., J. M. Losada, and W. E. Friedman. 'Floral Biology And Ovule And Seed Ontogeny Of Nymphaea Thermarum, A Water Lily At The Brink Of Extinction With Potential As A Model System For Basal Angiosperms'. Annals of Botany 115.2 (2014): 211-226. doi: 10.1093
This has important implications for the evolution and cultivation of this species:
- N. thermarum can, and is likely predisposed to, self-fertilize. This may mean that remaining populations have little genetic diversity.
- Flowers can be emasculated by removing the anthers at least 24 hours before the bud first opens.
Read more about the reproductive biology, and seed development, of this species:
Povilus, R. A., J. M. Losada, and W. E. Friedman. 'Floral Biology And Ovule And Seed Ontogeny Of Nymphaea Thermarum, A Water Lily At The Brink Of Extinction With Potential As A Model System For Basal Angiosperms'. Annals of Botany 115.2 (2014): 211-226. doi: 10.1093