Nymphaea odorata subsp. tuberosa

'Nymphaea odorata'' subsp. tuberosa' is a subspecies of Nymphaea odorata'' native to the region spanning from Central and Eastern Canada, extending to North Central and Northeastern United States.

Vegetative characteristics
Nymphaea odorata subsp. tuberosa has horizontal, tuberous, branched, 30-80 cm long, and 2-5 cm wide rhizomes. The leaves of mature plants float on the water, or extend 2-7 cm above the surface. The petiolate, orbicular leaves are 12-38 cm wide. The abaxial leaf surface is green or slightly purple. The petiole has brown to purple stripes. It has four primary central, and twelve secondary peripheral air canals.

Generative characteristics
The 10-23 cm wide flowers emerge 10-15 cm above the water surface. They have green, terete, 30-200 cm long, and 0.5-0.9 cm wide peduncles. The peduncles have red to brown stripes. The flowers have four sepals with a rounded apex. The white, obovate to spatulate petals have a rounded apex. The gynoecium consists of 14 carpels. The globose, 2.2 cm long, and 3.2 cm wide fruit bears 2.8-4.5 mm long seeds. The flowers are inodorous, or only very faintly fragrant.

Cytology
The haploid chromosome count is n = 42.

Vegetative reproduction
It can reproduce vegetatively by detached rhizomes.

Generative reproduction
Flowering occurs in late spring to summer. Fruiting occurs from July to October.

Publication
It was described as Nymphaea tuberosa Paine by John Alsop Paine in 1865. Later, it was included in the species Nymphaea odorata Aiton as the subspecies Nymphaea odorata subsp. tuberosa (Paine) Wiersema & Hellq. published by John Harry Wiersema & Carl Barre Hellquist in 1994.

Type specimen
The lectotype was collected by J.A.Paine in Lake Ontario, near Rochester, USA in Aug 1865.

Position with in Nymphaea
It is placed in Nymphaea subg. Nymphaea.

Etymology
The subspecific epithet tuberosa, from the Latin tuberosus, means tuberous, or having a tuber.

Habitat
It occurs in streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes.

Food
The rhizomes are edible.