Nymphaea rubra

Nymphaea rubra

The crimson water-lily or India red water lily, red water lily (Nymphaea rubra Roxb. ex Salisb. 1806) is an aquatic herbaceous species belonging to the Nymphaeaceae family.

Systematic –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Spermatophyta Superdivision,
Division Magnoliophyta,
Class Magnoliopsida,
Subclass Magnoliidae,
Order Nymphaeales,
Family Nymphaeaceae,
Genus Nymphaea,
Species N. rubra.
The term is synonymous:
– Castalia rubra (Roxb. ex Andrews) Tratt. (1822).

Etymology –
The term Nymphaea derives from the Arabic word nenufar (derived in turn from the Persian “blue lotus”), introduced into botanical nomenclature by the German physician, botanist and theologian Otto Brunfels (Mainz, 1488 – Bern, 25 November 1534) in 1534.
The specific epithet rubra comes from the Latin “rubra”, meaning red, in reference to the color of the flowers.

Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Nymphaea rubra is a plant native to the region from Sri Lanka and north-eastern India to western and central Malaysia and in particular to Bangladesh and India (Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal). Furthermore, this plant has been introduced into regions such as south-eastern China, Cuba, Guyana, Hungary and Suriname.
Its habitat is that of areas with the presence of water, in ponds, shallow lakes and swamps in water 0.2-1 m deep.

Description –
Nymphaea rubra is a perennial herbaceous plant that lives in fresh water. It has an erect rhizome, rooted in the bottom sediment, which produces thin stolons.
The leaves are solitary, borne at the end of a robust pubescent petiole, 1.5 cm in diameter, crossed in the center by 6-7 main channels, surrounded by other smaller channels, in which air is present, to ensure flotation and gaseous exchanges between leaves and roots. The leaves are peltate (with the petiole inserted almost in the center of the blade), ovate in shape, with slightly wavy toothed edges, 20-40 cm in diameter; they are smooth on the top, water-repellent, initially dark red in color tending to olive green with age, pubescent on the bottom, floating or slightly raised compared to the surface; the submerged leaves are sagittate or cordate and reddish in color.
The flowers have a diameter of about 15 cm; they are solitary, above the surface of the water, on a peduncle also provided with channels in which air is present, with 4 oblong-lanceolate papery sepals with obtuse apex, of an intense red colour, 16-28 elliptical to oblanceolate, 4-6 cm long, purple red, and 60-90 stamens, 3-5 cm long, red in colour. The flowers are lightly scented; they open at night and close in the morning for four consecutive nights, they present the phenomenon of protogyny, the stigma is receptive only on the first day, while the pollen is released in the following days, this prevents self-fertilization and favors crossed fertilization. At the end of flowering, the peduncle spirals, bringing the forming fruit to the bottom, where it completes maturation.
The fruits are globose greenish-brown berries with persistent traces of sepals and petals, 4-6 cm in diameter.
Inside there are numerous blackish ellipsoid or globose seeds, 1.8 mm long, with spongy aril.
The diploid chromosome count is 2n = 56.

Cultivation –
Nymphaea rubra is a plant much appreciated in aquariums for the submerged ornamental leaves that it continues to produce in the presence of high brightness, taking care to remove the emerging leaves. The young leaves and stems are locally consumed as a vegetable.
For its cultivation it requires full sun, calm or slightly moving waters, slightly acidic or alkaline, with a pH between 6 and 8. Furthermore, high temperatures are necessary, around 30 °C to flower at its best, and a substrate rich in organic substance which can be made up of a layer of garden soil, a layer of manure and a layer of gravel for covering.
This plant can be cultivated, in fact, in tropical and subtropical climate zones, where it blooms almost continuously, and marginally in warm temperate climates, elsewhere the plants can be kept from autumn to spring in a protected environment, at a temperature of 18-20 °C.
Reproduction occurs by seed and, very easily, by division. This plant can reproduce apomictically.
The seeds initially float due to the presence of air in the aril (fleshy envelope that completely or partially envelops the seed), which favors their dispersion, until this falls apart, becoming soaked in water, causing them to settle to the bottom.

Customs and Traditions –
Nymphaea rubra is known by various common names; among these are: crimson water-lily, India red water lily, red water lily (English); lotus rouge, Nénuphar rouge (French); ninféia vermelha (Portuguese); nenúfar rojo (Spanish); rote seerose (German).
This plant was first mentioned by William Roxburgh, but only later validly published by Henry Cranke Andrews in 1808.
This plant, as well as for ornamental purposes, is used in the food sector but very suitable for cultivation in aquariums.
The peduncles and seeds are used, in fact, as food.
The flowers of the plant are used for ornamental purposes, while the rhizomes, young leaves and peduncle are used as food and vegetable. The approximate nutrient content of various parts of the plant was determined and found to be quite high. The maximum amount of protein was recorded as 23.88% of the total dry weight. Since the species is gaining importance as a food material in local markets of northeastern India, an organized effort for cultivation of this species is considered important.
For this reason, various researches are trying to promote, in addition to ornamental uses, its cultivation for future food security.
Regarding its ecological status, the IUCN conservation status is Least Concern (LC).

Preparation Method –
Nymphaea rubra is a plant that is used and cultivated for ornamental purposes but also used for food purposes.
The rhizomes, young leaves and peduncle are used as plant food. They have good nutrient content.

Guido Bissanti

Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora d’Italia, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.

Photo source:
– https://repo.rbge.org.uk/image_server.php?kind=1500&path_base64=L2l0ZW1faW1hZ2VzL2FjY2Vzc2lvbnMvMTkvOTcvMzAvNjUvUGhvdG9fNTFjMWNlZjVkZTVlMC5qcGc=

Attention: Pharmaceutical applications and food uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not represent in any way a medical prescription; we therefore decline any responsibility for their use for healing, aesthetic or food purposes.