Nymphaea jacobsii

Nymphaea jacobsii is a species of waterlily endemic to Queensland, Australia.

Vegetative characteristics
Nymphaea jacobsii is an annual or perennial aquatic plant with elongate to globose rhizomes. The broadly elliptic, 40 cm long, 35 cm wide, petiolate leaves have a dentate margin.

Generative characteristics
The inodorous flowers extend up to 30 cm above the water surface. The sepals are 4.2–13 cm long, and 5.5 cm wide. The 12-24 white to deep blue, lanceolate petals are 1–11.5 cm long, and 2.5-5.5 cm wide. The androecium consists of 150-300 yellow stamens. The gynoecium consists of 12-25 carpels. The globose, 2.3–9 cm wide fruit bears numerous large, ovoid, 2.6–7 mm long and 2–3.5 mm wide seeds with 0.1-0.13 mm long trichomes.

Publication
It was first described by Carl Barre Hellquist in 2011.

Type specimen
The Type specimen was collected by S. W. L. Jacobs and C. B. Hellquist in Lake Powlanthanga, Queensland, Australia on the 12th of June 2007.

Subspecies
Two subspecies, namely Nymphaea jacobsii subsp. jacobsii, and Nymphaea jacobsii subsp. toomba Hellq., have been described.

Placement within Nymphaea
It is placed in Nymphaea subgenus Anecphya.

Natural hybridisation
A natural hybrid of Nymphaea jacobsii and Nymphaea violacea has been described, but not named.

Etymology
It is named after Surrey Wilfrid Laurance Jacobs.

Conservation
The NCA status of Nymphaea jacobsii is Special Least Concern (SL).

Habitat
It is found in lakes, and creeks.