Common name: Water Poppy
Hydrocleys nymphoides (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) Buchenau APNI* Synonyms: Stratiotes nymphoides Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd. APNI*
Hydrocleys commersonii Rich. APNI*
Limnocharis humboldtii Rich. APNI*
Description: A stoloniferous perennial with floating and emergent leaves.
Leaves broad-ovate to orbicular, up to 12 cm across, veins 5–9; petioles 1.5–40 cm long, round, brittle, with externally obvious septa.
Inflorescences with 1–6 flowers, proliferating with stolons, leaves; peduncles to 30 cm, buds produced in profusion. Flowers 5–8 cm across, pale yellow, 3 petalled.
Fruit a capsule 15 mm long with a beak. Capsules split longitudinally to release several small horseshoe shaped seeds to 1 mm.
Flowering: Flowering occurs in the warmer months.
Distribution and occurrence: Widely cultivated in NSW, Qld and Vic; occasionally becoming naturalised. Native of Central and South America - Guatemala to Argentina. In stationary or slow moving water of swamps and creeks.
NSW subdivisions: *SWS, *CC
Leaves may be confused with Hydrocharis dubia.
Text by Louisa Murray (2009); edited KL Wilson (Nov 2011); edited RW Jobson (Dec 2023)
Taxon concept: Sainty and Jacobs (2003) Waterplants in Australia; Jobson RW & Kodela PG (2018) Hydrocleys nymphoides (Alismataceae) naturalised in New South Wales waterways. Telopea 21: 167-173.
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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