the ultimate mini-waterlilies...a challenge to the newcommer waterlily!

[natureguy]

Hi! o(new fish in the tank! This may not be something of interest to those looking for the spectacular but at least to me it seems quite sensational until proven otherwise.

I present to many of you the most recent waterlily discovery that of Nymphae minuta reputably the smallest tropical waterlily yet discovered! Some of you more serious waterlily lovers may already know of this 21st century discovery! It is a waterlily native only to rain pools adjacent to waterways in Madagascar. Perhaps sadly...this discovery created more excitement for its genetic potential to hybridize with existing waterly species and hybrids in search for the ultimate miniature tropical waterlily than for the already existing quite wonderful attributes of the pure species!

Here is a waterlily that is well adapted to an extreme environment where one year its "pond" may be the perfect environment to proliferate and the next an impossible situation. Changing rain pools along waterways that alternately fill with sediment and may be washed clean. A waterlily that is not dependant upon a tuber that offsets liberally as with other waterlilies but with an abundance of seed that will find many niches in the torrentious rain, germinate and create a viable tuber, even if just for a moment, until conditions are ripe! It is also unique among waterlies in that it will flower and set seed while fully submersed. This means both leaves and flowers remain submersed! Another waterlily like plant that used to be included in the same family as waterlilies, Barclaya, a very exotic reputedly hard to grow Asian plant with elongated submersed either green or reddish-brown leaves produces a small flower not unlike N. minuta. Oddly there are similarities and makes it hard to understant the separation of this plant from the "Waterlily" family!

All waterlilies seem to be more than aptly built for survival. That very fact is why they have such a powerful hold upon our visual sense and our emotional natures! What other plant can give us such spectacular growth and bloom! A plant that is rooted in muck of existence that as the ancient Egyptians saw could transform "Life".

I always equate the spectacular blooms of the waterlily with those of Epiphyllum (Orchid Cactus). I know of no other equivalent in the plant kingdom than some other cactus species with such spectacular blooms. The only catch for the greedy "flower children" like you and me is that there is too much time inbetween...instead of so much attention we feel we must give our plants, much neglect before they once again- when we almost forget about them  they prove their glory! With so little effort the waterlily is just rewarding enough to prove to be an addiction!!!

Waterlilies when treated right can be there every day (and/or night). That can be genuine competition for our other closest companion pets...dogs, cats, lizards,tortoises...etc. Depending upon your own emotional status.

If you are a true lover of all-things-aquatic you will want to stay with me a little longer! You may have only a pond but most of you who will be most intrigued will also have aquaria indoors as well! Here we have a waterlily that is extremely easy to grow from seed...(in fact that is its primary means of propagation in the natural habitat). This leads to some nice possibilities for aquariasts or those looking for a waterlily to fit in a realitively small water container (ie. that used for a miniature lotus etc.) The "aquariasts" will be most pleased when there is a more than adequate alternative or at least a great compliment to the Red & Green Tigers Lotus'.

These two nearly identical waterlilies for all you not familiar are a much confused identity as members of the species Nymphaea lotus often considered a (I would agree as they are unlike all other N. lotus) variety zenkeri

Both of these are exceptional specimens for the aquaria as well as for the small pond or tub water garden! (So unfortunately neglected in the water garden! Years ago I would have given an arm-and-a-leg for these plants!) I know of no other night blooming waterlilies that will bloom at such a small size and maintain that size in what would be extremely cramped quarters for any other night blooming tropical!

The "Green" Tiger is a wonderful bright green with lovely red splotches when it is actively producing submersed leaves. The "Red" Tiger has more and perhaps larger splotches and a suffused reddish over-lay that can be rather intense in some lighting. Both these variations produce small leaves at the surface with red splotches that may fade to green at slightly different rates. The flowers as with most other waterlilies are produced in succession of every three days or so so that there is always at least one flower. They are a beautiful cup shaped white to no more that 4" diameter.

I digress...my comparison was to show the qualities of and that the N. minuta is a strongly submersed waterlily perhaps even more so than N. lotus vars. zenkeri. This Madagascar miniature is a beautiful contrast in that it has a very bright lime-green or nearly chartreause (newest leaves) coloration. As if that isn't enough the undersurface of the leaves are I suppose "pubescent" which gives it a whitish look in contrast to the already bright color of the upper surface. If you know your color combinations you can see that this lime green complimented by the red blotched green or intensely suffused red splotched green of either of the Tiger Lotuses would make a beautiful display!

I am sorry I do not get to the point sooner...It is just that I feel that most readers may need more of a background of these plants...specifically N minuta before getting to the punch line! I felt the need to impress upon would-be readers on some of the exciting possibilities for a plant that has otherwise been swept under the table by all except ambitious hybridizers!

I will quickly summarize my feelings which have motivated this entry:
 1) N. minuta is a prolific waterlily in bloom for very small spaces yet it is also a spectacular submersed plant!
 2) Two other waterlies, perhaps two selections of one variety of N. lotus zenkeri also are satisfactory submersed waterlilies for the aquarium. At the same time they have been neglected as "miniature" night-blooming waterliles for the tub watergarden or small pond. I suggest this has been mostly because of the commercialism involved in water-gardening rather than honest exploration and sharing of information!
 3) Contrary to the information that has been readily made available to the "un-scholary" such as myself I have found that N. minuta has proven not to be capable of propagation by seed alone!!! Details below:

Seed grown in very shallow tub- approximately 2" sandy clay soil and 2"-3" water. Sharing this container were Eleocharis sp. and Lemna minor,etc. Received sun for 7 or more hours each day. Flowering was prolific and fertile fruits were frequent. It became apparent that temperatures exceeded an unknown point when dormancy was induced. Continued maintaining water level then as fall approached withheld any addition. Clay soil became rock-hard dry. Because of drought here in San Diego did not introduce water until early February. At that time almost immediately noticed submersed leaves. Transplanted in late Feb or early March to a small pot for an aquarium at about 78 F. There it has continued to grow, producing submersed leaves at this date: March 20.

Significant observation: A plant that achieved complete dormancy producing two separate crowns of growth. Apparently this is not supposed to happen with this species. I have a specimen at this moment not more that a few feet away from me as I type that says that "propagation of this species is not limited to seed alone". This is the limits of my proof...however considering that this is a one out of one study it should surely indicate that the odds are very much stacked against the spokesmen who might claim that this is solely a seed propagated species of waterlily as the likes of N. tetragona. Something for another subject of discussion...Why havn't there been any comparitive discussions about this with at least one other species? The only supposedly other "seed-only" propagated waterlily that just so happens to be extremely similiar in growth and propagation. You cannot find N. tetragona in any permanant ponds. It is a member of a community of aquatics that is vernal as opposed to permanant/semi-permanant riparian associations. From what I understand, N. minuta is a member of a "non-permanant" aquatic community although far separated in geography but similiar in physical requirements!

We have two absolutely contrasting waterlilies trying to survive extreme conditions: one totally tropical with limitations due to extreme environmental considerations due to the erosive and sedimentary movements of water and the other due to extremes in habitat creation/destruction due to fluctuations of permafrost and a short growth season.

I would surely be the idiot to claim to be the first to notice this! It is only in my ignorance that I have continued to write these thoughts! To my knowledge no one has presented this perspective and practical information about these waterlilies. I certainly stand corrected otherwise!

While we are on the subject...it is hard not to believe that if you have a thought, no matter how profound it has already happened on the internet! That is really the most depressing thought I can know!!! AND that is truly the demise of our GREAT technology! I am nothing more than an "automaton" and I shall exist in 1984 where "Big Brother" shall attend to all my needs and my thoughts shall cease to be original but part of the multiplex!

Forgive my obtuse manner but I simply am simply a rebel with a cause that will certainly excede the "generations" in the present and those to come as well! My restlessness is an eternal curse!

natureguy

[natureguy]

I will reply to the edititing for my own entry....it totally sucks!!! There is something really screwy about my own computer software or it may just be this website... whatever it is is an extreme disappointment to me! What I put into it certainly did not come out right. Therefor I appologize for this insanity! Therefor try to read through the blurred vision and pick up some of the reality!

natureguy

[Vickie]

I have grown minuta since 2005. Here it is

[Vickie]

[Vickie]

I grew this waterlily from seed in 2005. I have lost it and had to grow more. In my experience the plant does not ship well and live. That is for me anyway I have no idea about others. I have shipped many plants so it is not from inexperience. It does survive in aquariums and bloom both above and below the water.

[moondivatx]

Oh...how pretty Vickie!!  Will it tolerate moving water and what source for the seeds?  Would love to grow this in my
Squirrel Salad Buffet...that would be the half whiskey barrel used to filter my little no goldfish...Goldfish pond.

[Vickie]

I got the original seeds from Walter Pagel. I have also found the seeds I get do not store very long and sprout.

[moondivatx]

Vickie, I am not familiar with Walter Pagel.  If he is still active, please PM me his contact info.

[Vickie]

He had posted the seeds were free for those who wanted to try and grow this lily back in 2005. I do not have his contact anymore sorry. He is very respected in the water lily world of who's who. like I said old seeds do not sprout for me. I think sean tryed to sprout some older ones. If mine blooms later this yr ,if it is still alive, maybe we can work a trade for some seeds. I have grown it in aquariums with filters and slow moving water. And I have grown it outside in tubs and kiddy pools

[Sean]

I germinated some and shared some with Turtle Mike and he germinated some also. I didn't get past that but will try again this year just starting them in the pond.

Cheers,
Sean

[turtlemike]

 Great post Nature Guy, I agree completely.

 Sean, I have one seedling of Minuta from the seeds that you sent me ! I am going to make seeds with it this summer.

 Vickie, please make more seed this summer and I would like to get some from you for genetic diversity.

 Thanks for the info Nature Guy.

[Vickie]

Okay mike I will try. Right now it is in an aquarium and I am not sure if it is alive. I have not payed attention to what is where this winter. I am hoping it is fine. I have 3 aquariums with plants and   a 100 gallon pond in the basement with plants. I will look in aquariums at tags and let you know if it is alive.

[turtlemike]

 Thanks Vickie. I know how it is keeping track of plants over the years. Labeling is a big issue. loss of labels or mislabeling can cause so much loss. I had a beautiful purple night bloomer that I lost because of mislabeling. I might still have it somewhere as a tuber but I have hundreds of tubers so I have to grow them all in order to find it. I can make another one but it is just a shame. I wish I had a warm basement.

[turtlemike]

purple night bloomer.

[Vickie]

Mike that is beautiful. I hope you find it. I know I have minuta seeds but not sure they are good anymore.  I have not had luck with old ones sprouting.  I just looked I have 12 little plastic bags and 1 paper envelope. The envelope is from 2010' The bags go back to 2007. Like I said I do not think they will sprout. Sean the ones I sent you did not sprout right?