Nymphaea carpentariae

Nymphaea carpentariae is a species of waterlily native to Queensland and Western Australia.

Vegetative characteristics
Nymphaea carpentariae is a perennial plant with 4 cm wide, globose to elongate rhizomes. The 45 cm wide, orbicular-elliptic leaves have dentate margins.

Generative characteristics
The fragrant flowers rise up to 40 cm above the water surface. The androecium consists of 150-300 stamens. The gynoecium consists of 7-19 carpels. The 4 cm wide, globose fruits bear spherical too elongate-sherical, 2–3.5 mm long, and 2mm wide seeds with continuous rows of 0.1-0.15 mm long trichomes.

Cytology
The chromosome count is n = ~42. The genome size is 1447.44 Mb.

Publication
It was first described by Surrey Wilfrid Laurance Jacobs and Carl Barre Hellquist in 2006.

Type specimen
The type specimen was collected by Jacobs and Hellquist in Burketown, Queensland, Australia on the 18th of April 2005.

Placement within Nymphaea
It is placed in Nymphaea subgenus Anecphya.

Etymology
The specific epithet carpentariae references the Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia.

Conservation
The NCA status of Nymphaea carpentariae is Special Least Concern. According to the Western Australia Conservation status, it is a poorly-known species (P1).

Habitat
It is found in lagoons, and in billabongs.

Cultivation
It has a named cultivar Nymphaea carpentariae "Julia Leu".