''Nymphoides'', or floatingheart, is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of aquatic

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the family

Menyanthaceae Menyanthaceae is a family of aquatic and wetland plants in the order Asterales. There are approximately 60-70 species in six genera distributed worldwide. The simple or compound leaves arise alternately from a creeping rhizome. In the submers ...

. The genus name refers to their resemblance to the water lily ''

Nymphaea ''Nymphaea'' () is a genus of hardy and tender aquatic plants in the family Nymphaeaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Many species are cultivated as ornamental plants, and many cultivars have been bred. Some taxa occur as introduc ...

''. ''Nymphoides'' are aquatic plants with submerged roots and floating

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

that hold the small

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s above the water surface.

Flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s are

sympetalous Sympetaly (fused petals) is a flower characteristic that historically was used to classify a grouping of plants termed Sympetalae, but this term has been abandoned in newer molecular based classifications, although the grouping has similarity to ...

, most often divided into five lobes (petals). The petals are either yellow or white, and may be adorned with lateral wings or covered in small hairs. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

consists of either an

umbel In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin ''umbella'' "p ...

late cluster of flowers or a lax

raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...

, with internodes occurring between generally paired flowers. Species of ''Nymphoides'' are sold as aquarium plants, including the "banana plant", '' N. aquatica'' and the "water snowflake", '' N. indica''. Species native to the United States are '' N. cordata'' in the northeast and '' N. aquatica'' in the southeast. ''

Nymphoides peltata ''Nymphoides peltata'' (syn. ''Villarsia nymphaeoides'', ''Limnanthemum peltatum'' S.G. Gmel., ''Nymphoides nymphaeoides'' (L.) Britton, fringed water lily, yellow floating heart, floating heart, water fringe, entire marshwort) is perennial, root ...

'' is native to Europe and Asia, but can be found in the United States as an invasive species, invasive aquatic weed. The non-native species ''Nymphoides cristata, N. cristata'' and '' N. indica'' also reportedly occur in Florida (Jacono 2000). ''Nymphoides hydrophylla'' slim Plant stem, stem (spear) are used as vegetable at Meinong District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Numerous species of ''Nymphoides'' grow in Australia, and others exist in Africa, America, and Asia. ;Species Nymphoides indica1

There are approximately 50 species of ''Nymphoides'', including: Pantropical: * ''Nymphoides indica'' (L.) Kuntze Africa: * ''Nymphoides bosseri'' A.Raynal * ''Nymphoides brevipedicellata'' (Vatke) A.Raynal * ''Nymphoides elegans'' A.Raynal * ''Nymphoides ezannoi'' Berhaut * ''Nymphoides forbesiana'' (Griseb.) Kuntze * ''Nymphoides guineensis'' A.Raynal * ''Nymphoides humilis'' A.Raynal * ''Nymphoides milnei'' A.Raynal * ''Nymphoides moratiana'' A.Raynal * ''Nymphoides rautaneni'' (N.E.Br.) A.Raynal * ''Nymphoides tenuissima'' A.Raynal * ''Nymphoides thunbergiana'' (Griseb.) Kuntze North America: * ''Nymphoides aquatica'' (J.F.Gmel.) Kuntze * ''Nymphoides cordata'' (Elliott) Fernald Central and South America: * ''Nymphoides fallax'' Ornduff * ''Nymphoides flaccida'' L.Sm. * ''Nymphoides grayana'' (Griseb.) Kuntze * ''Nymphoides herzogii'' A.Galàn-Mera & G.Navarro * ''Nymphoides humboldtiana'' (Kunth) Kuntze * ''Nymphoides microphylla'' (A.St.-Hil.) Kuntze * ''Nymphoides verrucosa'' (R.E.Fries)A.Galàn-Mera & G.Navarro Eurasia: * ''

'' (S.G.Gmel.) Kuntze Asia: * ''Nymphoides balakrishnanii'' P.Biju, Josekutty, Haneef & Augustine * ''Nymphoides coreana'' (Léveille) Hara * ''Nymphoides hastata'' (Dop) Kerr * ''Nymphoides hydrophylla'' (Lour.) Kuntze * ''Nymphoides krishnakesara'' K.T.Joseph & Sivar. * ''Nymphoides lungtanensis'' S.P.Li, T.H.Hsieh & C.C.Lin * ''Nymphoides macrospermum'' Vasudevan * ''Nymphoides siamensis'' (Ostenf.) Kerr * ''Nymphoides sivarajanii'' K.T.Joseph * ''Nymphoides tonkinensis'' (Dop) P.H.Ho Asia and Australia: * ''Nymphoides aurantiaca'' (Dalzell) Kuntze * ''Nymphoides parvifolia'' (Wall.) Kuntze Australia: * ''Nymphoides beaglensis'' Aston * ''Nymphoides crenata'' (F.Muell.) Kuntze * ''Nymphoides disperma'' Aston * ''Nymphoides elliptica'' Aston * ''Nymphoides exigua'' (F.Muell.) Kuntze * ''Nymphoides exiliflora'' (F.Muell.) Kuntze * ''Nymphoides furculifolia'' Specht * ''Nymphoides geminata'' (R.Br.) Kuntze * ''Nymphoides hydrocharioides'' (F.Muell.) Kuntze * ''Nymphoides montana'' Aston * ''Nymphoides planosperma'' Aston * ''Nymphoides quadriloba'' Aston * ''Nymphoides simulans'' Aston * ''Nymphoides spinulosperma'' Aston * ''Nymphoides spongiosa'' Aston * ''Nymphoides stygia'' (J.M.Black) H.Eichler * ''Nymphoides subacuta'' Aston * ''Nymphoides triangularis'' Aston

References

Jacono, C. 2000. Know ''Nymphoides''. ''Aquaphyte'' 22 (supplemental insert)

{{Taxonbar, from=Q158196 Nymphoides, Asterales genera