Nuphar sagittifolia
A rare aquatic herb with arrow-shaped leaves from the southeastern US.
Nuphar sagittifolia, commonly known as Arrowleaf Pond-lily, Cape Fear spatterdock, or Narrow-leaved Spatterdock, is a perennial, rhizomatous, aquatic herb in the family Nymphaeaceae. It is notable for its unique narrowly lanceolate leaves and is known only from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Nuphar
- Parent
- Nuphar sect. Astylus
- Species
- sagittifolia
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Nuphar sagittifolia was first published as Nymphaea sagittifolia by Thomas Walter in 1788, then placed into the genus Nuphar by Frederick Traugott Pursh in 1813. It is placed in the section Nuphar sect. Astylus. The specific epithet sagittifolia means having arrow-shaped leaves. The plant is a heterophyllous herb with both floating and submerged leaves; submerged leaves are more common and are crisped and membranous, larger than the floating leaves. The floating leaf is glabrous, green, linear to lanceolate, 15–30(–50) cm long and 5–10(–11.5) cm wide, with a subterete petiole 1.5–7 mm wide. The flower is yellow, 2–3 cm wide, with a glabrous peduncle 3–8 mm wide, 6 sepals, thick oblong yellow petals, and a gynoecium of 11–15 carpels. The stigmatic disk is almost entire, green, 14–18 mm wide, with 11–15 stigmatic rays. The fruit is ovoid, green, 3–3.5 cm long and 2–3 cm wide, bearing seeds 4–5 mm long and 3 mm wide. Flowering and fruiting occurs from April to October.
Reader's Guide
Nuphar sagittifolia is a perennial, rhizomatous aquatic herb in the family Nymphaeaceae, known only from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Its unique narrowly lanceolate leaves distinguish it from other pond-lilies. The plant is aquatic, found in lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers in coastal plains in up to 2.1 m deep, acidic water. Its conservation status is T2 Imperiled according to NatureServe. In Virginia, it is threatened; in North Carolina, it is placed on the Rare Plant Watch List; and in South Carolina, it is also on the list of rare species. The species was first described by Thomas Walter in 1788 as Nymphaea sagittifolia, and later reclassified into Nuphar by Frederick Traugott Pursh in 1813. Its specific epithet, sagittifolia, means having arrow-shaped leaves. The plant produces both floating and submerged leaves, with submerged leaves being more common and larger. Its yellow flowers bloom from April to October, and the fruit bears seeds 4–5 mm long. The species is notable for its restricted range and imperiled status, making it a subject of conservation concern.
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