Species

Nymphoides peltata

Common Name(s)

fringed water lily, yellow floating-heart

Authority

Nymphoides peltata (Gmel) Kuntze

Family

Menyanthaceae

Brief Description

Floating leaved perennial aquatic plant with 'lily' shaped leaves and yellow flowers, that can develop dense stands in still and slow flowing waters.

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Distribution

Nationally eradicated, previously known from Whangaparaoa, Auckland and pond sites in Hamilton.

Habitat

Only known from a farm dam and ornamental ponds, but also grows in slow flowing waters overseas.

Features

Underwater stem creeping or floating near the surface with leaves and roots at each node. The leaves are laternately arranged on the stems or oppostiely arranged on the flower stalks. Leaves are almost round, with a scalloped margin, deep sinus, and up to 10 cm across. The upperside of the leaf is green, while the under side is purplish. Two to 5 flowers arise from a flower stalk. The flowers are golden with 5 petals and solid marginal wings, and are 3 to 5 cm in diameter. The fruit is a beaked capsule.

Similar Taxa

Yellow water lily (Nuphar lutea), marshwort (Nymphoides geminata), and water poppy (Hydrocleys nymphoides). Yellow water lily has very thick spongy stolons (up to 10 cm) and much larger floating leaves (up to 40 cm long and 30 cm wide). Marshwort has entire leaf margins compared with the scalloped leaf margins of fringed water lily and no purple blotches on the upperside of the leaf. Water poppy has an inflated mid-vein on the underside of the leaves.

Flowering

October - April

Flower Colours

Yellow

Fruiting

Summer-autumn

Year Naturalised

1988

Origin

Europe and Asia

Reason for Introduction

Ornamental pond plant

Control Techniques

Can be controlled manually, mechanically or herbicidally depending on situation.

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Vegetative spread by stoloniferous growth and by floating seeds which are fringed with many bristles. Huge potential for spread because seeds are adapted for water bird dispersal. Also deliberate plantings.

Attribution

Factsheet prepared by Paul Champion and Deborah Hofstra (NIWA).

References and further reading

Champion et al (2012). Freshwater Pests of New Zealand.  NIWA publication. http://www.niwa.co.nz/freshwater-and-estuaries/management-tools/identification-guides-and-fact-sheets/freshwater-pest-species.

DiTomaso JM, EA Healy (2003).  Aquatic and riparian weeds of the west. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Publication 3421, 462pp.

WSDE (2001).  An aquatic plant identification manual for Washington's freshwater plants.  Washington State Department of Ecology, 195pp.

This page last updated on 28 Jul 2014