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Nymphaea leibergii

Morong

Dwarf Water-lily

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G5SecureGlobal Rank

Least concernIUCN

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.135296

Element CodePDNYM050J0

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

IUCNLeast concern

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassDicotyledoneae

OrderNymphaeales

FamilyNymphaeaceae

GenusNymphaea

Synonyms

Nymphaea tetragona ssp. leibergii(Morong) Porsild

Other Common Names

Leiberg's waterlily (EN) Leiberg's Water-lily (EN) Nymphéa de Leiberg (FR)

Concept Reference

Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.

Taxonomic Comments

Formerly treated as a subspecies (or variety) of N. tetragona, but Wiersema (1996) concluded they are distinct species, agreeing with Morong's original taxonomic view.

Conservation Status

Rank MethodExpertise without calculation

Review Date2016-08-26

Change Date1998-07-28

Edition Date1995-05-22

Edition AuthorsK. Crowley, MRO

Range Extent20,000 to >2,500,000 square km (about 8000 to >1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences21 - 80

Rank Reasons

Nymphaea leibergii has been poorly defined in the past but is now considered a distinct species (Wiersema 1996). It is common in Ontario, but either rare or undercollected elsewhere in its range.

Range Extent Comments

Nymphaea leibergii occurs from northern Maine and Quebec west to British Columbia, and south to Michigan (Isle Royale), Minnesota, and Montana. Historical in Idaho. Currently reported as very common in Alaska by Heritage records. According to Wiersema (1995), however, plants in Alaska are all N. tetragona ssp. tetragona, and N. tetragona ssp. leibergii does not occur in Alaska.

Occurrences Comments

EOs: 22 in Minnesota, 2 in Michigan. Collections (listed in Wiersema 1995): 2 in Montana, 4 in Maine, 4 in Quebec, 5 in Manitoba, 4 in Saskatchewan, 1 in Alberta, 3 in British Columbia. Historical in Idaho, the type location. Most common in Ontario (at least 20 collections). Collections may underrepresent the actual number of EOs for this species because it occurs in remote, undersampled habitats.

Threat Impact Comments

The primary threat to Nymphaea leibergii is a change in the water quality of its habitats. Threats include nearby logging, siltation, nutrient loading, and eutrophication. Also threatening is succession of and competition with emergent vegetation.

Ecology & Habitat

Description

Pygmy Water-lily is an herbaceous perennial with submergent stems and floating leaves arising from a thick rhizome. The leaves have a long, slender petiole attached to the base of a long, v-shaped notch in the elliptic blades that are 7-10 cm long. The bowl-shaped flowers have long, slender stalks and float on the surface of the water. Each flower has 4 light green, narrowly elliptic sepals that are 2-3 cm long and 7-15 white, narrowly lance-shaped petals of the same length. There are 30-45 yellowish stamens, and the stigma is large and saucer-shaped. The fruit is woody and berry-like.

Diagnostic Characteristics

BRASENIA SCHREBERI does not have a notch in the leaves. NUPHAR has yellow flowers, and the lower leaf surface is not as purple as in NYMPHAEA. NYMPHAEA ODORATA has larger leaves, 20-30 petals, and 50-100 stamens.

Habitat

Nymphaea leibergii generally occurs in clear water, with a neutral or slightly alkaline pH, over a rich, organic substrate. Its habitats include ponds, shallow lakes, slow-moving streams, and edges of slow, open water channels through marshes, up to a depth of approximately 2 m. N. tetragona may also occur in streams impounded by beavers or by humans.

Other Nations (2)

CanadaN4

Province	Rank	Native
Saskatchewan	S2	Yes
British Columbia	SH	Yes
Manitoba	S3	Yes
Ontario	S4	Yes
Alberta	S2	Yes
Quebec	S3	Yes

United StatesNNR

Province	Rank	Native
Minnesota	S2	Yes
Vermont	S1	Yes
Michigan	S1	Yes
Maine	S1	Yes
Montana	S1	Yes
Idaho	SX	Yes

Plant Characteristics

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (1)

Minnesota (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Cabin Creek	Superior National Forest	6,071

References (5)

Coffin, B., and L. Pfannmuller, editors. 1988. Minnesota's endangered flora and fauna. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 473 pp.
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 1997. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 3. Magnoliophyta: Magnoliidae and Hamamelidae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiii + 590 pp.
Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Wiersema, J. 1996. Nymphaea tetragona and Nymphaea leibergii (Nymphaeaceae): two species of diminutive water-lilies in North America. Brittonia, 48(4): 520-531.
Wiersema, John. USDA, MD. Personal communication of May 23, 1995, with K. Crowley, MRO.