Nuphar × saijoensis


Nuphar × saijoensis is a species of rhizomatous aquatic plant endemic to Japan. It is a natural hybrid of Nuphar japonica and Nuphar pumila, or Nuphar japonica and Nuphar pumila subsp. oguraensis.

Description

Generative characteristics

The anthers are strongly recurved.

Reproduction

Generative reproduction

It is fertile, but only very few, mostly unviable seeds are produced with an average of 29 seeds per fruit.

Taxonomy

Publication

It was first described as the variety Nuphar japonica var. saijoensis Shimoda by Michiko Shimoda in 1991. Later, it was treated as the natural hybrid Nuphar × saijoensis Padgett & Shimoda published by Donald Jay Padgett and Michiko Shimoda in 2002.

Type specimen

The type specimen was collected by Michiko Shimoda in Higashi-hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan on the 27th of June 1989.

Natural hybridisation

Different sources list different species involved, depending on the recognition of Nuphar taxa. Nuphar japonica is listed as a parental species in all sources.
The other parental species is either listed as Nuphar oguraensis, or as Nuphar pumila.
In the original publication the second parental species Nuphar oguraensis is listed as Nuphar pumila subsp. oguraensis.

Conservation

It is endangered.

Ecology

Habitat

It only occurs in aquatic habitats, such as irrigation ponds, of the Saijo Basin, western Japan.