Nymphaea siamensis : (A) habitat, (B) flower, (C) rhizome, (D) cross section of a rhizome, (E) a mature rhizome full of bulblets, (F) bulblets attached to a rhizome, (G) bulblets, (H) longitudinal section of a bulblet, (I) longitudinal section of germinating bulblet and (J) germinating bulblet. Dark grey triangles mark the position where the new shoot will emerge. White triangles mark the rhizome attachment structure and, the light grey triangles mark the point of shoot emergence. 

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... angle, upper surface green but sometimes with some reddish brown spots, undersurface purplish red with many brown spots, glabrous, the principle veins 5-7. Petioles to 4 mm in diameter, glabrous, brown, usually with four major air canals. Peduncles to 6.5 mm in diameter, glabrous, light reddish brown, with an inner ring of 6 major air canals surrounded by 12 miner ones. Flowers floating, solitary, opening for five days, assume a half-spherical shape, 8-12 cm in diameter; sepals 5 to 8, green, elliptic and ovate, to 5 cm long, to 1.5 cm wide, acute or somewhat rounded at apex. Petal 80 to 90, pinkish white with pale green at base on the first day, fades a little on the second and third day, green spots develops on the fourth and fifth day, distributed throughout the petals, oblong, to 5 cm long, to 1.5 cm wide, acute to somewhat rounded at apex. Stamens are not present. The flowers are sterile and without an ovary (pistillode), locules, and carpels. Structures similar to an apocarpous locule of flowers in subgenus Barchyceras are found at the top. It is hypothesized that in N. siamensis , stigmas might have been transformed into petaloids (petaloid pistillode). Fruits and seeds are never produced. Tuberiferous “flowers” are sometimes present. Since N. siamensis lacks both stamens and pistils, its only means of reproduction is via bulblets which are attached to the rhizome. Usually, these bulblets will give rise to leaves. However, when separated from the rhizome, they will give rise to a new plant and themselves will develop into a new rhizome ( Fig. 1). Although the clonal nature of N. siamensis might confer a genetic disadvantage, the ability of the plant to produce a large number of bulblets could be of advantage. Once detached from the original plant, the bulblets develop very rapidly into new plants which might have allowed the species to take over a territory in a short period of time. Today, N. siamensis is scarcely found in the wild. However, the name ‘Jongkolnee’ had been known in Thailand for at least 700 years. The oldest documented mentioning of N. siamensis in the name ‘Jongkolnee’ was in Traiphuum Phra Ruang , a book of religious importance narrated by King Lithai in 1345, describing the species in its habitat: “Next to the water hyacinth is ‘Nilubon’ [a beautiful blue tropical day blooming water lily], covering a 16,000 square meter area; next to ‘Nilubon’ is ‘Rattana-ubon’ [a red tropical night blooming waterlily], covering a 16,000 square meter area; next to ‘Rattana-ubon’ is ‘Setu-ubon’ [a white tropical night blooming waterlily], covering a 16,000 square meter area; next to ‘Setu-ubon’ is ‘Jongkolnee’, covering a 16,000 square meter area; next to ‘Jongkolnee’ is ‘Bua Dang’ [probably a lotus, colored red], covering a 16,000 square meter area; next to ‘Bua Dang’ is ‘Bua Khao’ [probably a lotus, colored white] covering a 16,000 square meter area; next to ‘Bua Khao’ is ‘Kamut’ [a tropical day or night blooming white waterlily], covering a 16,000 square meter area; all seven varieties of Nymphaea look beautiful and fresh.” [- authors’ own translation]. Two interesting items of information stand out in this. First, it seems to establish that there were at least five waterlilies and two lotuses indigenous to Asia including Thailand. Second, N. siamensis could be found and was already known in northern Thailand by the year 1345. This is the oldest evidence of N. siamensis existence in the country. In addition to Traiphuum Phra Ruang , N. siamensis was documented for its utilization in Thai traditional medicine. According to many sources, it has been included as a part of the traditional formulation called “Bua Benjapan” or “Pigat Bua 5”, which comprises N. ‘Sattabandha’ (a native red tropical night-blooming waterlily), N. ‘Sattabutdha’ (a native white tropical night-blooming waterlily), N. ‘Linjong’ (a native light-pink tropical night-blooming waterlily), N. ‘Nilubon’ and N. siamensis . (Dhamnitestouyharn, 1931; Thai Traditional Medicine Restoration and Promotion Foundation, 1992). These pieces of evidence indicated the presence and availability of N. siamensis in Thailand for hundreds of years. Although no historical drawings of N. siamensis in its own habitats have been discovered, drawings of its flowers could be seen in traditional Thai arts and architectures. The traditional “Jongkol Star” ...