Joyce, can you clear something up for us?

[sushi]

Hi Joyce,
I'm trying to explain something to someone and I'm not doing the best job.  A girl is looking for tetragonna for trade and I have some plants that I raised from seeds you sent me that we were calling Tetragonna and now it's called Nymphea Pygmea or something like that.  Can you please explain why it's not called Tetragonna anymore.  I'm not sure I'm explaining it right.  The way I remember it was Craig said it was really called the other name.  Thanks....Ann

[Joyce]

There are 2 different miniature species: N. pygmaea and N. tetragona.

Yes, Craig said it's a Nymphaea pygmaea.
To me, it looks exactly the same as an N. tetragona,
but Craig knows the difference, not me.
Craig also grew some of my seeds too,
so he has seen my plant himself.

All I know is that my plant blooms best when it is not too hot.
When it gets hot, the blooms slow down drastically.
It has bloomed as early as April, and as late as October.
I pulled the plant up out if the pondsai early last April and it already had buds on it.

[sushi]

Thanks, I just wanted to get my facts straight. 

[Craig]

Even I have a hard time trying to explain it clearly.<g>

Basically there was a lily sold in the hobby for years as N. tetragona var 'angusta'.  Which then, hobbyists being hobbyists, got abbreviated to N. tetragona.

When examined by taxonomists, it was learned that 'angusta' was an improper nameand in truth was the lily named N. pygmaea.  Both species or natural type lilies and thusly can be grown from seed, but the true tetragona is native to much colder waters than found in much of the US an won't survive here.  What was labeled by the water garden industry as 'angusta' was an attempt to play off the well known tetragona name.

The truth caught up with them and the more reliable growers are switching to the accurate name...N. pygmaea.

How'd I do...make any sense?<g>

[happyoutsidegirl]

Craig, It sounds very profeshional and convinsing. Am I confused? You bet! but it sounds like the gospial!

[LeeAnne151]

I just wanna know where to get one of the little darlings. 

[karen J]

LeeAnne, if you recall, I promised you one. Everything is still dormant here, but when the plants start growing I have reserved one for you. I got the original seeds from Joyce.
I also need to send a replacement to Teresa.

I remember ordering one from ewaterlily (billed as augusta), and I think Marilyn said it turned out to be a Walter Pagels.

[LeeAnne151]

Karen, I forgot    whoo hooo, what did I promise you? Stuttgart? I know I owe someone a chunk, Joyce did you want a chunk back?

[karen J]

LeeAnne, no it wasn't part of a trade-type deal, I just mentioned that I would start you one.

I am hoping my wits out that all my plants made it through the winter! We had a mild winter (for Chicago standards), but that darn January always knocks my pond out.

No matter what you call it, it's a darling little plant.