No Lilly Pads

I just moved from NJ to Virginia Beach. Its hard to find bodies of water without salt water intrution. But, when I do theres no lilly pads. What gives? I know the ground water contains lots of iron.

There is a species called the Virginia water lily. Link: http://www.liveaquar...488&pcatid=1488 They exist, just maybe you haven't seen them yet. Go a bit more inland and search.

There is a species called the Virginia water lily. Link: http://www.liveaquar...488&pcatid=1488 They exist, just maybe you haven't seen them yet. Go a bit more inland and search.

Welcome to Virginia, NJ John! I'm in Hampton.

There is no such species called "Virginia water lily" or "Nymphaea virginia" (shown in your link). That plant is a garden hybrid/cultivar. It would be properly called Nymphaea 'Virginia' or N. cv 'virginia'. But in any case, it is not a plant that will be found in the wild unless it has escaped from someone's ornamental pond. Please, let's not use random internet websites to answer people's questions.

There are, however, waterlilies (N. odorata) in the area. I do know that there is a bunch of them on the lake adjacent to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens / Norfolk International Airport. The reason why you may be having a hard time finding them is (obviously), that they have little habitat in this area as freshwater plants. They are also often managed as aquatic pests - in shallow eutrophic waters (common in ponds like we have here), they can really grow densely and get in the way of recreational boating/fishing/swimming. Also, in our area, freshwater habitats are isolated from each other, so seed transport would be the likely means of dispersal. However, they primarily reproduce from rhizomes and seeds of this species do not germinate easily and don't handle drying out well.

Nelumbo lutea and Nuphar lutea are also in Virginia, but I haven't seen them in our area. Doesn't mean they aren't here, though.

There is no such species called "Virginia water lily" or "Nymphaea virginia" (shown in your link). That plant is a garden hybrid/cultivar. It would be properly called Nymphaea 'Virginia' or N. cv 'virginia'. But in any case, it is not a plant that will be found in the wild unless it has escaped from someone's ornamental pond. Please, let's not use random internet websites to answer people's questions.

How can they claim to describe something with a taxonomic name without such a species existing? Nymphaea virginia is a lie? I apologize for my previous post. I thought Foster and Smith was reputable.

Edited by EricaWieser, 15 August 2011 - 09:26 AM.

They probably are reputable, and experts in their field - aquariums and ponds. But maybe not native ecosystems.

The description notes that it is a cultivar. People make mistakes with scientific nomenclature all the time - it gets complicated with hybrids.

Nativeplanter is correct - be careful with internet information. Their job is to sell aquarium and pond livestock and plants. I doubt they attempt to be a source for scientific information on native ecosystems. That does not make them disreputable, just not the best source for the information you were seeking.

I apologize

Thanks for the info. I heard I would have to head west also for darters and some of the smaller sunfishes.