Nymphoides peltata

European floating heart ( Nymphoides peltata )

The European floating heart ( Nymphoides peltata ) is an aquatic plant of the genus Seekannen ( Nymphoides ) in the family of fever clover plants ( Menyanthaceae ).

Appearance

It is a perennial herbaceous plant with long, creeping rhizome. The European fringed water lily pond or jug has 80 to 150 cm long, flooding stems, at the upper end are changing constantly leaves that float on the water surface. These are bare and oval to almost circular, with a length of 7 to 13 cm; their top is shiny green. On the underside of the leaves are gray-green to reddish. There are also small dots, called Hydropoten or " water drinkers ", with which the plant is able to absorb dissolved nutrients in the water. Without flowers, the type to be easily confused because of the leaf shape with small water lilies.

The flowers are large, funnel-shaped and deeply five-lobed. They are also located at the end of long and flooding stems and appear in one of two bracts based Doldenrispe. The sepals are lanceolate; the five yellow petals have the edge bearded ciliated tip. The plants bloom from June to August. The nectar is secreted at the base of the ovary of five glands located between the stamens.

Reproduction

As pollinators act honeybees and bumblebees. After pollination is green, tapered and ovoid fruit capsules are formed, the mature under water. Ripe fruit capsules fired wide oval and strahlig gewimperte seeds that are long buoyant thanks to their air chambers. As a spread strategy, the plant uses among others the Zoochorie. The plumage of waterfowl these seeds stick and carried by birds to other waters. The plant is therefore able to colonize widely separated locations.

Distribution and habitat

The European fringed water lily can be found in the lowlands of southern and central Europe and the climate temperate Asia ( east to Japan). In North America, they became naturalized locally. In Germany it is rather rare, with emphasis on the lower reaches of large rivers, in the Upper Rhine and the Danube. The floating heart is here a " specially protected species " and in many places in decline.

The species prefers still or slow flowing, shallower and summer warm waters that are rich in nutrients and have a sludge or humus-rich sandy bottom. As an ornamental plant in garden ponds it enjoys great popularity.