Nymphaea immutabilis

Nymphaea immutabilis (black-soil waterlily) is a species of waterlily native to the far north of Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and northern and eastern Queensland, Australia.^[3][2]

Nymphaea immutabilis
Flowering Nymphaea immutabilis at Mount Carbine, Queensland, Australia
Conservation status
Special Least Concern (NCA)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Order:	Nymphaeales
Family:	Nymphaeaceae
Genus:	Nymphaea
Subgenus:	Nymphaea subg. Anecphya
Species:	N. immutabilis
Binomial name
Nymphaea immutabilis S.W.L.Jacobs[2]
Nymphaea immutabilis is native to Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland, Australia[2]
Synonyms[2]
Nymphaea lotus var. australis F.M.Bailey

Description

Vegetative characteristics

Nymphaea immutabilis is an annual or perennial plant with globose rhizomes.^[4] The round, 70 cm wide leaves have dentate margins.^[5][4]

Generative characteristics

The flowers are up to 30 cm in diameter, on pedicels or stalks up to 5 m long;^[6] the outer petals are blue, grading to white inner petals.^[7] The flowers extend up to 50 cm above the water surface.^[5] The flowers have four sepals, and 34 petals. The androecium consists of 400 stamens. The gynoecium consists of 9-20 carpels.^[4] The globose, 5 cm wide fruit bears numerous 4 mm long, and 2.5 mm wide, rounded seeds with trichomes arranged in irregular rows.^[5] The immature seeds are red, but mature to brownish-grey.^[8] The seeds have a mechanism of physiological dormancy.^[9]

Cytology

The chromosome count is n = 42. The genome size is 1408.32 Mb.^[10]

Reproduction

Generative reproduction

Flowering occurs from March to November.^[5][4]

Taxonomy

Publication

It was first described by Surrey Wilfrid Laurance Jacobs in 1992.^[2]

Type specimen

The type specimen was collected by S. Jacobs and J. Clarkson near Mareeba, Queensland, Australia on the 26th of July 1987.^[4]

Placement within Nymphaea

It is placed in Nymphaea subgenus Anecphya.^[9]

Separation of Nymphaea kimberleyensis

The subspecies Nymphaea immutabilis subsp. kimberleyensis S.W.L.Jacobs was described in 1992. Later in 2011, it was elevated to a separate species Nymphaea kimberleyensis (S.W.L.Jacobs) S.W.L.Jacobs & Hellq.^[11][12]

Etymology

The specific epithet immutabilis, meaning unchanging, references the floral colouration, which does not change as the flower ages.^[4]

Conservation

The NCA status of Nymphaea immutabilis is Special Least Concern (SL).^[1] In the Northern Territory it is categorised as vulnerable.^[13][14]

Ecology

Habitat

It occurs in swamps,^[9] permanent, or temporary waters,^[4] billabongs, streams, and rivers.^[8]