Smallest waterlily in the world brought back from the brink of extinction

[n2doc]

Published: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 - 19:33 in Biology & Nature
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew's top propagation 'code-breaker', horticulturist Carlos Magdalena, has cracked the enigma of growing a rare species of African waterlily – believed to be the smallest waterlily in the world with pads than can be as little as 1cm in diameter – bringing it back from the brink of extinction; a fitting success story to celebrate International Day for Biological Diversity on 22 May 2010. This 'thermal' waterlily (Nymphaea thermarum), so named because it grows in freshwater hot springs, was discovered in 1985 by German botanist Professor Eberhard Fischer of Koblenz-Landau University. It was endemic to just one known location in Mashyuza, Rwanda, in the south west of the country. However, it disappeared from this location about two years ago due to over-exploitation of the hot spring that fed its fragile habitat. Water was prevented from reaching the earth's surface resulting in the desiccation of the few square metres where this species grew and no plant is known to have survived in the wild.

Luckily, Professor Eberhard Fischer realised that the species was in jeopardy and he transported a few specimens to Bonn Botanic Gardens soon after its discovery. At Bonn, horticulturists were successful at preserving these valuable specimens and indeed they lasted for more than a decade. However, the species proved extremely difficult to propagate.

As a result of a conservation plant exchange between Bonn and Kew, a handful of seeds and pre-germinated seedlings reached Kew in July 2009. All other known waterlily species start life as submerged plants until large enough to send pads to the surface. Therefore Nymphaea thermarum seedlings were initially grown submerged like any other waterlily. But, at both botanic gardens, this method was unsatisfactory: seedlings were barely clinging on to life and did not develop to adult stages.

Carlos, who has a track record of bringing the rarest and most difficult plants back from the brink, took on the challenge of learning the secrets of successfully propagating Nymphaea thermarum over many months.

He ran a series of trials involving a range of temperatures, water hardness, pH and depth. Plants grown in harder water at shallower depths seemed to develop further. However, no plant reached maturity, which was disappointing; as it seemed that every possible permutation known to have an influence on aquatic plant growth had been tested. Everything except the concentration of CO2 and other gases, such as O2, which are found in much smaller concentrations in water than in the air. Or, perhaps there was something crucial in the natural habitat of which he was not aware?

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http://esciencenews.com/articles/2010/05/18/smallest.waterlily.world.brought.back.brink.extinction.kew.gardens

[Kokonoe]

1. Thanks for posting.

here is a picture link

http://www.kew.org/plants-fungi/Nymphaea-thermarum.htm

[Judi Lynn]

3. Why must it be so beautiful when so few can see it? It's a miracle. Thank you. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

2. What great news this is, how rotten it would have been to lose this tiny, incredible plant. n/t