Knowra Nymphaeaceae Nymphaeaceae Nymphaeaceae is a family of aquatic flowering plants that includes water lilies. Its species typically have rhizomes, floating or submerged leaves, and conspicuous flowers.
Water lily : A common name for aquatic plants in Nymphaeaceae, especially genera such as Nymphaea and Nuphar. Water lilies are the family’s best-known members and illustrate its floating-leaf habit.
Water pollination : The transfer of pollen through water, occurring in some aquatic plants. Some Nymphaeaceae pollinate at or below the water surface rather than relying on airborne pollen.
Amborella : A genus containing the sole living species Amborella trichopoda, an early-diverging lineage of flowering plants. Comparisons with Amborella help place water lilies among the earliest branches of flowering-plant evolution.
Pond ecosystem : A freshwater ecosystem in a shallow, standing body of water. Water lilies provide habitat and alter light and oxygen conditions in ponds.
Nelumbonaceae : A family of aquatic flowering plants that includes the sacred lotus genus Nelumbo. Lotus plants resemble water lilies but belong to a separate family and order.
Rhizome : A horizontal underground or submerged stem that can produce roots and new shoots. Many water lilies anchor in sediment and grow new leaves from rhizomes.
Insect pollination : The transfer of pollen between flowers by insects. Many water lilies attract insects with conspicuous flowers, nectar, or heat.
ANA grade : The early-diverging flowering-plant lineages Amborellales, Nymphaeales, and Austrobaileyales. Nymphaeaceae belongs to Nymphaeales, one of the three lineages named in this evolutionary grouping.
Ornamental plant : A plant grown primarily for its visual appeal in gardens or designed landscapes. Many Nymphaeaceae species and hybrids are cultivated for their flowers and foliage.
Water hyacinth : A free-floating aquatic plant in the family Pontederiaceae, often invasive outside its native range. Unlike most water lilies, it floats without rooting in pond-bottom sediment.
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