Nymphoides thunbergiana

The perennial floating-leaved plant Nymphoides thunbergiana occurs on Mauritius and Madagascar as well as in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa; it colonises still as well as sluggish water and forms only a few runners.¹ Its rounded, deeply notched floating leaves are somewhat stiff and usually about 10 cm across in cultivation, although up to 20 cm is possible.¹ Their underside is green or faintly brownish red, while the shaggy-haired corolla lobes of the flowers are pale yellow.¹

Experience with this rare species is still limited; according to it, the plant can be kept in a tropical aquarium without difficulty.¹ A nutritious substrate with added loam has proved successful.¹ If the floating leaves are removed continually, plants raised from seed remain in the submersed juvenile stage for a long time.¹ It can also be grown in a garden pond.¹ It is not winter-hardy in Germany.