Variegated Pond Lily

Nuphar variegata is distinct throughout most of its range. The leaves are characteristically floating, being emergent only under low-water conditions. Intermediates between N . variegata and N . microphylla , probably of hybrid origin, are treated as N . rubrodisca . Some intergrading of characteristics occurs where the range overlaps with N . advena (E. O. Beal 1956). This can be observed in the mid-Atlantic region. Intermediates between N . variegata and N . polysepala occur in eastern British Columbia where the two species are sympatric. Authorship and typification of this name were discussed by E. G. Voss (1965).

Rhizomes 2.5-7 cm diam. Leaves mostly floating, occasionally submersed; petiole adaxially flattened, with median ridge, winged along margins. Leaf blade abaxially and adaxially green, sometimes abaxially purple-tinged, broadly ovate to oblong, 7-35 5-25 cm, 1.2-1.6 times as long as wide, sinus 1/3-1/2 length of midrib, lobes approximate to overlapping; surfaces glabrous. Flowers 2.5-5 cm diam.; sepals mostly 6, abaxially green to yellow, adaxially usually with red or maroon toward base; petals oblong, thick; anthers 3-9 mm, longer than filaments. Fruit mostly purple-tinged, ovoid, 2-4.3 2-3.5 cm, strongly ribbed, slightly constricted below stigmatic disk; stigmatic disk green, rarely reddened, 8-20 mm diam., entire to deeply crenate; stigmatic rays 7-28, linear to narrowly lanceolate, terminating 0-1(-1.5) mm from margin of disk. Seeds 2.5-5 mm. 2 n = 34.

St. Pierre and Miquelon; Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld., N.W.T., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon; Conn., Del., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Mont., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.Dak., Ohio, Pa., R.I., S.Dak., Vt., Wis.

Flowering late spring-summer.

Ponds, lakes, sluggish streams, and ditches; 0-2000m.

Nuphar americana Provancher; N. fraterna (G. S. Miller & Standley) Standley; N. lutea (Linnaeus) Smith subsp. variegata (Durand) E. O. Beal; Nymphaea americana (Provancher) G. S. Miller & Standley; N. fraterna G. S. Miller & Standley