Nymphaea dimorpha

Nymphaea dimorpha is a species of waterlily endemic to Madagascar.

Description
This species exhibits two distinctive growth forms. The submerged growth form has very thin foliage with short petioles. The emergent form has floating leaves with longer petioles.

Cytology
The chromosome count is n = 14. The genome size is 449.88 Mb.

Generative reproduction
Cleistogamy occurs in this species. It can produce flowers, which never open, but self-fertilise and never reach the water surface.

Habitat
It grows in pools of water among slowly flowing streams. The pools, which are darkened with organic material, are shaded by the canopy of tropical forest.

Taxonomic history
This species was first described as Nymphaea minuta K.C.Landon, R.A.Edwards & Nozaic in 2006. Later, it was discovered that this was a Nomen illegitimum, as the name was preoccupied by the French fossil waterlily Nymphaea minuta Saporta described in 1890. Therefore, the new name Nymphaea dimorpha I.M.Turner was chosen in 2014.

Type specimen
The type specimen was collected in shaded rain pools beneath coastal forest near Tampolo, Madagascar in 1999.

Placement within Nymphaea
It is a member of Nymphaea subgen. Brachyceras.

Etymology
The specific epithet dimorpha references the two distinctive growth forms of this species. The prefix di- means "two", and -morph means shape.

Cultivation
It is easily cultivated and suitable for low-light conditions. In cultivation it may grow four times larger than plants observed in their natural habitat. This is due to better fertilisation. It is very sensitive to cold temperatures.

It is used in hybridisation to create new smaller waterlily cultivars.