Nuphar polysepala

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Nuphar polysepala
Nuphar polysepala in Yellowstone National Park.JPG
Leaves and flower. Yellowstone National Park.
Status TNC T5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Order: Nymphaeales
Family: Nymphaeaceae
Genus: Nuphar
Section: Nuphar sect. Astylus
Species:
N. polysepala
Binomial name
Nuphar polysepala
Synonyms [2]
List
  • Castalia polysepala (Engelm.) Greene
  • Nuphar lutea subsp. polysepala (Engelm.) Beal
  • Nymphaea polysepala (Engelm.) Kuntze
  • Nymphozanthus polysepalus (Engelm.) Fernald
  • Nuphar polysepala var. picta Engelm.

Nuphar polysepala, also known as the great yellow pond-lily, wokas, [3] or wocus, [4] is a perennial, [5] rhizomatous, aquatic [2] herb [6] in the genus Nuphar native to western North America. [7] [8] It is commonly found in shallow muddy ponds from northern Alaska and Yukon southward to central California and northern New Mexico, and can be recognized easily by its large floating leaves and bright yellow blossoms.

Contents

Description

Vegetative characteristics

Nuphar polysepala is a perennial, [5] rhizomatous, aquatic [2] herb [6] [5] with spongy, creeping, branching, [9] up to 5 m long, [10] and 3-8 cm wide rhizomes [7] and an extensive root system. [11] The leaves are submerged or floating. [12] The ovate to oblong leaf is 10–45 cm long, [9] and 7–30 cm wide. [7] The terete petiole [13] is up to 2 m long. [13] [14]

Generative characteristics

The solitary, pedunculate, bisexual, [13] 5–10 cm wide flowers [7] float on the water surface, or extend beyond it. [15] They have (6–)9(–12) [7] green to bright yellow sepals, [7] [13] which occasionally have a red base. [7] The 10-20 green to yellow, thick petals [13] are hidden by the stamens. [16] The strongly ribbed, [13] [7] ovoid to cylindric, 4–6(–9) cm long, and 3.5–6 cm wide fruit [7] bears 4 mm long seeds. [17]

Cytology

The chromosome count is 2n = 34. [7] [18]

Taxonomy

It was published by George Engelmann in 1866. [19] [2] [20] The lectotype specimen was collected by C. C. Parry in Osborn's Lake, Colorado, USA in 1864. [20] It is placed in the section Nuphar sect. Astylus. [6]

Etymology

The specific epithet polysepala means "with many sepals". [21]

Habitat and ecology

Habitat

It occurs in slowly flowing streams, [14] ponds, and lakes [15] [14] in up to 2,4 m deep water. [15] It provides shelter for fish. [9]

Pollination

It is pollinated by flies and beetles. [13]

Conservation

The NatureServe conservation status is T5 Secure. [1]

Uses

Food

The Wokas season, a photograph by Edward S. Curtis Edward S. Curtis Collection -- The wokas season--Klamath.jpg
The Wokas season, a photograph by Edward S. Curtis

The seeds are edible; they pop like popcorn, and can be steamed as a vegetable, dried and ground for flour, or can be cooked like oatmeal. [8] Historically they have been a significant source of carbohydrates for the Klamath and Modoc peoples who inhabit the area near Oregon's Upper Klamath Lake. [22]

Medicinal

Leaves and rootstocks have been used for ulcerous skin conditions and swelling. The rootstock infusion is used as a traditional gargle for mouth, sore throats and douche for vaginal inflammation. The rootstock is prepared from two tablespoon chopped rhizome with one cup boiling water . [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Nymphaea alba</i> Species of water lily

Nymphaea alba, the white waterlily, European white water lily or white nenuphar, is an aquatic flowering plant in the family Nymphaeaceae. It is native to North Africa, temperate Asia, Europe and tropical Asia.

<i>Nelumbo lutea</i> Species of aquatic plant

Nelumbo lutea is a species of flowering plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. Common names include American lotus, yellow lotus, water-chinquapin, and volée. It is native to North America. The botanical name Nelumbo lutea Willd. is the currently recognized name for this species, which has been classified under the former names Nelumbium luteum and Nelumbo pentapetala, among others.

<i>Nuphar</i> Genus of aquatic plants

Nuphar is a genus of aquatic plants in the family Nymphaeaceae, with a temperate to subarctic Northern Hemisphere distribution. Common names include water-lily, pond-lily, alligator-bonnet or bonnet lily, and spatterdock.

<i>Nuphar lutea</i> Species of flowering plant

Nuphar lutea, the yellow water-lily, brandy-bottle, or spadderdock, is an aquatic plant of the family Nymphaeaceae, native to northern temperate and some subtropical regions of Europe, northwest Africa, and western Asia. This species was used as a food source and in medicinal practices from prehistoric times with potential research and medical applications going forward.

<i>Nuphar advena</i> Species of aquatic plant

Nuphar advena is a species of Nuphar native throughout the eastern United States and in some parts of Canada, such as Nova Scotia, as well as Mexico and Cuba. It is locally naturalized in Britain.

<i>Nymphaea mexicana</i> Species of aquatic plant

Nymphaea mexicana is a species of aquatic plant that is native to the Southern United States and Mexico as far south as Michoacán. Common names include yellow water lily, Mexican water lily and banana water lily.

<i>Nuphar variegata</i> Species of aquatic plant

Nuphar variegata is a plant in the water lily family, Nymphaeaceae. It is native to much of Canada and the northernmost of the United States.

<i>Nuphar pumila</i> Species of flowering plant

Nuphar pumila, the least water-lily, is a perennial, rhizomatous, aquatic herb in the family Nymphaeaceae native to subarctic and temperate Eurasia.

<i>Nuphar japonica</i> Species of flowering plant

Nuphar japonica, known as East Asian yellow water-lily, is a perennial, aquatic, rhizomatous, herb in the family Nymphaeaceae native to Japan, Korea, and Russia.

<i>Nuphar sagittifolia</i> Species of aquatic plant

Nuphar sagittifolia, common name arrow-leaved water-lily or Cape Fear spatterdock, is a plant species known only from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

<i>Nuphar microphylla</i> Species of plant

Nuphar microphylla is a perennial, rhizomatous, aquatic herb found in North America. It is listed as a special concern and believed extirpated in Connecticut.

<i>Nuphar subintegerrima</i> Species of perennial aquatic plant

Nuphar subintegerrima is a species of rhizomatous aquatic plant endemic to Japan.

Nuphar ulvacea is a species of rhizomatous aquatic plant native to the US-American states Alabama and Florida.

Nuphar orbiculata is a species of rhizomatous aquatic plant native to the US-American states Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.

<i>Nuphar <span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> spenneriana</i> Species of perennial aquatic plant

Nuphar × spenneriana is a species of rhizomatous aquatic plant native to Europe. It is a natural hybrid of Nuphar lutea and Nuphar pumila.

<i>Nuphar <span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> porphyranthera</i> Hybrid of perennial aquatic plant

Nuphar × porphyranthera is a species of rhizomatous aquatic plant native to Great Britain. It is a hybrid of Nuphar lutea and Nuphar advena.

<i>Nuphar <span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> rubrodisca</i> Species of perennial aquatic plant

Nuphar × rubrodisca is a species of rhizomatous aquatic plant native to Canada and the USA. It is a natural hybrid of Nuphar variegata and Nuphar microphylla.

<i>Nuphar pumila <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> sinensis</i> Species of water lily

Nuphar pumila subsp. sinensis is a subspecies of Nuphar pumila native to China.

<i>Nuphar <span style="font-style:normal;">sect.</span> Astylus</i> Section of the genus Nuphar in the family Nymphaeaceae

Nuphar sect. Astylus is a section within the genus Nuphar native to North America.

<i>Nuphar <span style="font-style:normal;">sect.</span> Nuphar</i> Section of the genus Nuphar in the family Nymphaeaceae

Nuphar sect. Nuphar is a section within the genus Nuphar native to Eurasia, in addition to a single North American species Nuphar microphylla.

References

  1. 1 2 Nuphar lutea ssp. polysepala. (n.d.). NatureServe. Retrieved December 7, 2024, from https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.155521/Nuphar_lutea_ssp_polysepala
  2. 1 2 3 4 Nuphar polysepala Engelm. (n.d.). Plants of the World Online. Retrieved February 2, 2025, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1021676-2
  3. ↑ John Merle Coulter; University of Chicago; M.S. Coulter; Charles Reid Barnes; Joseph Charles Arthur (1904). Botanical Gazette. University of Chicago Press. p. 396.
  4. ↑ Skinner, Megan M. (July 2016). Restoration Plan for Wocus (Nuphar lutea polysepala) in Upper Klamath Basin, Oregon (PDF). Natural Resources Department, The Klamath Tribes of Chiloquin, Oregon.
  5. 1 2 3 Nuphar polysepala Engelm. (n.d.). Calflora. Retrieved February 2, 2025, from https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=10994
  6. 1 2 3 Nuphar polysepala Engelmann. (n.d.). Database of Vascular Plants of Canada (VASCAN). Retrieved February 2, 2025, from https://data.canadensys.net/vascan/taxon/6714
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Nuphar polysepala in Flora of North America @ efloras.org. (n.d.). Retrieved February 2, 2025, from http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233500817
  8. 1 2 3 Schofield, J.J. (1989). Marshes, Ponds, and Wet Places in Alaska, Western Canada, and the Northwest. pp. 53–55. ISBN   0-88240-355-9.
  9. 1 2 3 DiTomaso, J. M., Healy, E. A. (2003). Aquatic and riparian weeds of the West. p. 110. USA: University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources.
  10. ↑ Merrick, Samantha; Matthews, Robin A.; and Vandersypen, Joan, "Reed Lake 2013 Aquatic Plant Survey" (2013). Reed Lake. 1. https://cedar.wwu.edu/iws_reed/1
  11. ↑ Klinger, Jesse T. (Jesse Tyler), "The Associations of Epiphytic Macroinvertebrates and Aquatic Macrophytes in Canyon Lake, WA" (2018). WWU Graduate School Collection. 729. https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwuet/729
  12. ↑ Nuphar lutea ssp. polysepala. (n.d.). Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - the University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved February 2, 2025, from https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=NULUP
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 WTU Herbarium, Burke Museum, University of Washington. (n.d.). Nuphar polysepala. Burke Herbarium. Retrieved February 2, 2025, from https://burkeherbarium.org/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Nuphar%20polysepala
  14. 1 2 3 Nuphar polysepala. (n.d.). Washington Native Plant Society. Retrieved February 2, 2025, from https://www.wnps.org/native-plant-directory/171-nuphar-polysepala
  15. 1 2 3 Wildflowers of the Rocky Mountain Region. (2018). USA: Timber Press.
  16. ↑ Nuphar polysepalum Engelm. (n.d.). Alaskaflora. Retrieved February 2, 2025, from http://alaskaflora.org/hulten/do?method=detail&id=450-2
  17. ↑ Nuphar polysepala Engelm (Engelm.) E.O. Beal. (n.d.). E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia. Retrieved February 2, 2025, from https://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Nuphar%20polysepala&noTransfer=0
  18. ↑ Pellicer, J., Kelly, L. J., Magdalena, C., & Leitch, I. J. (2013). Insights into the dynamics of genome size and chromosome evolution in the early diverging angiosperm lineage Nymphaeales (water lilies). Genome, 56(8), 437-449.
  19. ↑ Academy of Science of St. Louis. (1860). Transactions of the Academy of Science of St. Louis (Vol. 2, p. 282). Academy of Science of St. Louis]. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/5787992
  20. 1 2 Nuphar polysepala Engelm. (n.d.-b). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved February 2, 2025, from https://www.ipni.org/n/1021676-2
  21. ↑ Bayton, R. (2020). Practical Uses of Botanical Latin. In The Gardener's Botanical: An Encyclopedia of Latin Plant Names - with More than 5,000 Entries (pp. 22-318). Princeton: Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691209135-007
  22. ↑ "Indians Turn Klamath Lake Lilies into Diet Staple". Jefferson Public Radio. 2015-01-26. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
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