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A New Station for Nymphaea tuberosa Paine in 

 Southern New Jersey 



J. W. Adams 



On June 19. 1926, the writer while collecting aquatics 

 along the Main Branch of Newton Creek, at Collingswood, 

 Camden County, noticed what appeared to be a large flowered 

 and broad leaved Nymphaea odorata Ait. growing in the 

 stream. As Nymphaea odorata does not appear to be recorded 

 from this creek or its branches, the find seemed to be inter- 

 esting. After floundering in the murky water, I was successful 

 in pulling up several flowering specimens with good root- 

 stocks. Careful examination showed that, growing at short 

 intervals along the thickened rhizome, were small tubers 

 which were readily detached and floated to the surface, and 

 which when planted in mud, developed into new plants. 

 Another surprising thing about the plant was the green under 

 surface of the leaves! 



When specimens were collected and compared with her- 

 barium material at the Academy of Natural Sciences of 

 Philadelphia, the plant appeared to be identical with Nymphaea 

 tuberosa Paine. Since the occurrence of this species in the 

 Philadelphia local area is rare, having been recorded only 

 from three stations in southern New Jersey,^ the plant was 

 sent to Gray Herbarium to be checked by Messrs. C. A. 

 Weatherby and J. M. Fogg, Jr., who together agreed that 

 without doubt it was Nymphaea tuberosa. 



This past summer another trip was made to the locality 

 in order to note the distribution of the plant in the stream 

 and, most important of all, to see whether or not this water- 

 lily was indigenous there. Inquiry was made among several 

 natives of Collingswood and it was ascertained that about 

 ten years ago, an old inhabitant had received a rhizome of 

 this species and had thrown it into the stream. The single 

 specimen thus introduced has propagated itself, undoubtedly 

 by seed and the small tubers, into the numerous colonies 

 which are now present in the creek. 



^ "Known definitely only from Pocatquissing Creek and from near 

 Trenton, both in Mercer Co., and from Cape May Co., N. J." — Norman 

 Taylor, Flora of N'icinity of New York — Mem. N. Y. Bot. Card. \'oI. \'. 



