Nelumbo lutea

Willdenow

Sp. Pl. 2: 1259. 1799 (as Nelumbium luteum).

Common names: American lotus yellow lotus water-chinquapin volée
Illustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Leaves: petiole to 2 m or more. Leaf blade to 6 dm or more. Flowers: tepals pale yellow, 1-13 cm, outermost 1-5 normally persistent; anthers 1-2 cm. Fruits somewhat globose, 10-16 × 8-13 mm, mostly less than 1.25 times longer than wide; receptacle to 1 dm diam. at maturity, abruptly narrowed ca. 1-2 cm below flattened top, base tapered, lateral surface usually distinctly striate. 2n = 16.


Phenology: Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat: Mostly flood plains of major rivers in ponds, lakes, pools in marshes and swamps, and backwaters of reservoirs
Elevation: 0-400 m

Distribution

V3 541-distribution-map.gif

Introduced at other sites, Ont., Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Va., W.Va., Wis., Mexico, West Indies (Cuba, Jamaica, and Hispaniola), Central America (Honduras).

Discussion

Nelumbo lutea is a species as magnificent as its Asian relative, N. nucifera, but it is less cultivated for ornament. It was probably originally confined to flood plains of major rivers and their tributaries in the east-central United States and carried northward and eastward by aborigines who used the seeds and tubers for food. The species is sometimes an aggressive, difficult-to-eradicate weed in ponds, lakes, and reservoirs.

Although Nelumbo lutea is often attributed to (Willdenow) Persoon, the spelling Nelumbium luteum used by Willdenow is an orthographic error for Nelumbo lutea (W. Greuter et al. 1994, Art. 61.4) that should be corrected, and Persoon's later combination is superfluous.

The name Nelumbo pentapetala (Walter) Fernald, sometimes used for this taxon, was based on Nymphaea pentapetala Walter, a name of uncertain application that has been recently proposed for rejection (J. H. Wiersema and J. L. Reveal 1991).

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Nelumbo lutea"
John. H. Wiersema +
Willdenow +
American lotus +, yellow lotus +, water-chinquapin +  and volée +
Introduced at other sites +, Ont. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Nebr. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Va. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +, Mexico +, West Indies (Cuba +, Jamaica +, and Hispaniola) +  and Central America (Honduras). +
0-400 m +
Mostly flood plains of major rivers in ponds, lakes, pools in marshes and swamps, and backwaters of reservoirs +
Flowering late spring–summer. +
hall1944a +  and schneider1980a +
W2 +  and Illustrated +
Nelumbo lutea +
species +