Nymphoides
Nymphoides, or floatingheart, is a genus of aquatic flowering plants in the family Menyanthaceae. The genus name refers to their resemblance to the water lily Nymphaea. Nymphoides are aquatic plants with submerged roots and floating leaves that hold the small flowers above the water surface. Flowers are sympetalous, most often divided into five lobes. The petals are either yellow or white and may be adorned with lateral wings or covered in small hairs. The inflorescence consists of either an umbellate cluster of flowers or a lax raceme, with internodes occurring between generally paired flowers.
[Image:Nymphoides indica2.jpg|thumb|160px|left|flower of Nymphoides indica]
[Image:Nymphoides ezannoi - blossom (aka).jpg|thumb|160px|left|flower of Nymphoides ezannoi]
Species of Nymphoides are sold as aquarium plants, including the "banana plant", N. aquatica and the "water snowflake", N. indica. Species native to the United States are N. cordata in the northeast and N. aquatica in the southeast. Nymphoides peltata is native to Europe and Asia but can be found in the United States as an invasive aquatic weed. The non-native species N. cristata and N. indica also reportedly occur in Florida.
Nymphoides hydrophylla slim stem are used as vegetable at Meinong District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Numerous species of Nymphoides grow in Australia, and others exist in Africa, America, and Asia.
;Species
There are approximately 50 species of Nymphoides, including:
Pantropical:Nymphoides indica Kuntze
Africa:Nymphoides bosseri A.RaynalNymphoides brevipedicellata A.RaynalNymphoides elegans A.RaynalNymphoides ezannoi BerhautNymphoides forbesiana KuntzeNymphoides guineensis A.RaynalNymphoides humilis A.RaynalNymphoides milnei A.RaynalNymphoides moratiana A.RaynalNymphoides rautaneni A.RaynalNymphoides tenuissima A.RaynalNymphoides thunbergiana Kuntze
North America:Nymphoides aquatica KuntzeNymphoides cordata Fernald
Central and South America:Nymphoides fallax OrnduffNymphoides flaccida L.Sm.Nymphoides grayana KuntzeNymphoides herzogii A.Galàn-Mera & G.NavarroNymphoides humboldtiana KuntzeNymphoides microphylla KuntzeNymphoides verrucosa A.Galàn-Mera & G.Navarro
Eurasia:Nymphoides peltata Kuntze
Asia:Nymphoides balakrishnanii P.Biju, Josekutty, Haneef & AugustineNymphoides coreana HaraNymphoides hastata KerrNymphoides hydrophylla KuntzeNymphoides krishnakesara K.T.Joseph & Sivar.Nymphoides lungtanensis S.P.Li, T.H.Hsieh & C.C.LinNymphoides macrospermum VasudevanNymphoides siamensis KerrNymphoides sivarajanii K.T.JosephNymphoides tonkinensis P.H.Ho
Asia and Australia:Nymphoides aurantiaca KuntzeNymphoides parvifolia Kuntze
Australia:Nymphoides beaglensis AstonNymphoides crenata KuntzeNymphoides disperma AstonNymphoides elliptica AstonNymphoides exigua KuntzeNymphoides exiliflora KuntzeNymphoides furculifolia SpechtNymphoides geminata KuntzeNymphoides hydrocharioides KuntzeNymphoides montana AstonNymphoides planosperma AstonNymphoides quadriloba AstonNymphoides simulans AstonNymphoides spinulosperma AstonNymphoides spongiosa AstonNymphoides stygia H.EichlerNymphoides subacuta AstonNymphoides triangularis Aston