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 ative |
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Common name: Water Snowflake, Floating hearts, Barachuli (Hindi), Khatara (Marathi), சின்னாம்பல் Chinnambal (Tamil), Tharo macha (Manipuri)
Botanical name: Nymphoides indica Family: Menyanthaceae (bogpea family)
This is a pretty, fast-growing, perennial water plant. It has flat, rounded,
floating leaves, and delicate white and yellow flowers appearing in summer. It
makes a useful addition to ornamental ponds and dams, especially for gardeners
who may be searching for indigenous alternatives to exotic (and now often
outlawed) water plants. Nymphoides indica has white flowers with yellow
centres. The petals have unusual, feathery edges. The flowers are formed above
the floating leaves with 20-40 mm long stalks from about October until May. It
gets its common name, of floating hearts because of the heart-shaped, bright
green leaves which lie on the water surface like those of water lilies
(Nymphaea species) Although they bear some resemblance to water lilies, they
are not related. New plants are formed all the time where the floating stolons
(above-ground, modified stems) form tufted plantlets along their lengths. The
mother plant has a short, thick stem which is rooted in the mud at the bottom
of the pond. In its natural habitat the plant may be subject to periods where
the water may dry up, in this case it forms roots at the nodes to help it
survive.
| Photographed at Loktak lake in
Manipur |
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