Nymphoides indica, Kumudini, Chinnambal, Chandmala, Water snowflake

Nymphoides indica (L.) Kuntze
Family: Menyanthaceae

Synonyms: Limnanthemum esquirolii H. Lév., Limnanthemum humboldtianum (Kunth) Griseb., Limnanthemum humboldtianum var. parviflorum Griseb., Limnanthemum indicum (L.) Griseb., Limnanthemum senegalense N.E.Br., Limnanthemum thunbergianum Griseb., Menyanthes brasilica Vell., Menyanthes indica L., Menyanthes petioliflora Stokes, Nymphoides humboldtiana (Kunth) Kuntze, Nymphoides thunbergiana (Griseb.) Kuntze, Trachysperma humboldtiana (Kunth) House, Villarsia communis A.St.-Hil., Villarsia glandulosa Griff., Villarsia humboldtiana Kunth, Villarsia indica (L.) Vent., Villarsia nymphaeifolia Fraser, Villarsia platiphylla A.St.-Hil., Villarsia rheedei Kostel., Villarsia senegalensis G. Don, Villarsia simsii G.Don, Villarsia swartzii G.Don, Villarsia trachysperma F.Muell.

English: Water snowflake
Bengali: Chandmala
Chinese: 印度荇菜, 白花莕菜, 金银莲花
French: Faux-nénuphar d'Inde
Kannada: Neeru Thaavare
Malayalam: Thakaram
Manipuri: থরো মচা Tharo Macha
Tamil: சின்னாம்பல் Chinnambal
Telugu: Anthara Thaamara

Description: Rhizomatous herbs; rhizome 2-3 cm thick with prominent branch scars. Primary fertile branches many, petiole-like and uniphyllous, highly variable in length depending on the depth of water; secondary branches sympodial, zig-zag, many-jointed, trailing on water surface; each joint uniphyllous; nodes often rooting. Leaves all cauline, fertile and floating, to about 25 cm across, ovate-orbicular, base deeply cordate with narrow sinuses, entire or subentire, fleshy, glossy green above, pale and gland-dotted beneath ; petiole to 3 cm long. Flowers bisexual, distylous in umbellate clusters from the junction of the petiole and the branch; bract to 7 x 4 mm, ovate or oblong; pedicel 5-10 cm long. Calyx deeply 5-partite; lobes to 6 x 2 mm, oblong-acute, green with hyaline margins. Corolla white with yellow throat; tube c. 2 mm long; lobes 5, to 13x4 mm, elliptic or oblong, acute, densely covered with long, white hairs within. Stamens as many as corolla lobes, dimorphic; filaments yellow. Ovary bottle- shaped; stigma sinuately 4-8 lobed; disc glands as many as stamens, orbicular. Capsules ellipsoid. Seeds c. 1.5 mm across, discoid, brownish, tubercled.  

33 Published articles of Nymphoides indica