Nymphaeales consist of a solitary, floating, or emergent flower. They are bisexual, actinomorphic, and hypogynous or epigynous. The perianth is differentiated into calyx and corolla; the parts are whorled. The calyx consists of aposepalous sepals, and the corolla is made up of apopetalous petals. The gynoecium is apocarpous or syncarpous. Their placentation is laminar or parietal, and the fruit unit is a coriaceous follicle or a berry.
Species of Nymphaeales have attractive flowers. The fragrant N. odrata (5-inch white flowers) and horticultural varieties are grown in several gardens, parks, and natural ponds in the warm temperate regions. Horticulturally, Nymphaea[5] is considered the most important genus. It has nearly 250 cultivars with a wide variety of showy blossoms from white, green, red, blue, and purple.
Flowers are insect-pollinated. Insect pollination occurs by beetles, bees, and flies. Some flowers, however, are self-pollinated like the Nymphaea and wind-pollinated like the Brasenia and N. ondinea. The seeds are dispersed by animals or water.
Suggested Reading:
Plants use Haplodiplontic life cycle to alternate generations. Explore plant life cycle of Bryophytes (Moss), Pteridophytes (Fern), & Angiosperms (Flower).
