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.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.Raynal
  • Nymphoides brevipedicellata A.Raynal
  • Nymphoides elegans A.Raynal
  • Nymphoides ezannoi Berhaut
  • Nymphoides forbesiana Kuntze
  • Nymphoides guineensis A.Raynal
  • Nymphoides humilis A.Raynal
  • Nymphoides milnei A.Raynal
  • Nymphoides moratiana A.Raynal
  • Nymphoides rautaneni A.Raynal
  • Nymphoides tenuissima A.Raynal
  • Nymphoides thunbergiana Kuntze
North America:
  • Nymphoides aquatica Kuntze
  • Nymphoides cordata Fernald
Central and South America:
  • Nymphoides fallax Ornduff
  • Nymphoides flaccida L.Sm.
  • Nymphoides grayana Kuntze
  • Nymphoides herzogii A.Galàn-Mera & G.Navarro
  • Nymphoides humboldtiana Kuntze
  • Nymphoides microphylla Kuntze
  • Nymphoides verrucosa A.Galàn-Mera & G.Navarro
Eurasia:
  • Nymphoides peltata Kuntze
Asia:
  • Nymphoides balakrishnanii P.Biju, Josekutty, Haneef & Augustine
  • Nymphoides coreana Hara
  • Nymphoides hastata Kerr
  • Nymphoides hydrophylla Kuntze
  • Nymphoides krishnakesara K.T.Joseph & Sivar.
  • Nymphoides lungtanensis S.P.Li, T.H.Hsieh & C.C.Lin
  • Nymphoides macrospermum Vasudevan
  • Nymphoides siamensis Kerr
  • Nymphoides sivarajanii K.T.Joseph
  • Nymphoides tonkinensis P.H.Ho
Asia and Australia:
  • Nymphoides aurantiaca Kuntze
  • Nymphoides parvifolia Kuntze
Australia:
  • Nymphoides beaglensis Aston
  • Nymphoides crenata Kuntze
  • Nymphoides disperma Aston
  • Nymphoides elliptica Aston
  • Nymphoides exigua Kuntze
  • Nymphoides exiliflora Kuntze
  • Nymphoides furculifolia Specht
  • Nymphoides geminata Kuntze
  • Nymphoides hydrocharioides Kuntze
  • Nymphoides montana Aston
  • Nymphoides planosperma Aston
  • Nymphoides quadriloba Aston
  • Nymphoides simulans Aston
  • Nymphoides spinulosperma Aston
  • Nymphoides spongiosa Aston
  • Nymphoides stygia H.Eichler
  • Nymphoides subacuta Aston
  • Nymphoides triangularis Aston