Nymphaea ‘Siam Blue Hardy’

Home , Barclaya, Lysimachia punctata, Lysimachia terrestris, Lysimachia thyrsiflora

International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society Water Garden Journal 2nd Quarter, 2009 Volume 24, Number 2

subgenus Nymphaea subgenus Brachyceras pod parent pollen parent Page 2 The Water Garden Journal Vol. 24, No. 2

In This Issue It’s time to plan for the

Page 2 2009 Symposium Information IWGS Web site Page 3 President’s Comments by Tish Folsom Page 3 Editor’s Comments by Tim Davis Page 3 Executive Director’s Comments by Keith Folsom Page 5 Wonderful Waterlily Auction 2009 by Tim Davis Page 7 IWGS: Designated Keepers of Chicago, IL., USA the Names of Nelumbo by Dr. Ken Tilt, Warner Orozco Symposium Obando, CJ McGrath, Bernice Fischman and Auburn July 15–19, 2009 University, Auburn, Alabama Page 12 Intersubgeneric Cross in Nymphaea spp. L. to Develop Host site and hotel is the a Blue Hardy Waterlily Pheasant Run Hotel by Pairat Songpanich and www.pheasantrun.com Vipa Hongtrakul St. Charles, IL, USA Page 20 New Board Member Nominees Recently proclaimed the Page 22 Neglected Aquatics “Water Garden Capital of the World” by Rowena Burns Page 23 Society Information Possible tour options include The Chicago Botanic Gardens, Ball Seed Trial Gardens, Morton Arboretum, Field Museum, IWGS Web Site Shedd Aquarium, and a number Members Only Page of the USA’s top 100 garden centers. The members page features exclusive society Visit www.iwgs.org news, articles and online voting. The member For more information as it becomes available log on is waterlily and the password is about this great opportunity. tetragona. Members will be notified by e-mail whenever this password changes. After logging in, the members only page allows you to select the current Journal and it will down- load in a PDF format for viewing. This Journal issue is available online in color for viewing, printing or saving. www.iwgs.org Vol. 24, No. 2 The Water Garden Journal Page 3

President’s Comments Executive Director’s by Tish Folsom Comments by Keith Folsom For my last column as president, I’d like to This is the final issue that you’ll see my col- thank everyone for allowing me to serve the umn as executive director. I am passing the reins society in this manner. This is a great group over to a very competent and able Larry Nau of of people, with a lot of dedicated waterlily and Bergen Water Gardens. Over the past couple lotus fans. From scientists and professors, to of years since becoming the executive director, business owners and employees, to hobbyists I have had the pleasure of meeting with many and friends, each of you has an affection and people that are part of our niche in the horticul- interest in this plant group above and beyond ture industry. We all have a central interest, but “normal”. Please welcome and help the incom- approach our passion from so many different ing president, Jim Purcell in continuing the angles. One of the best things about the folks in society’s goals and interests. the IWGS is their diversity. As we work into the It’s with much anticipation that I look forward next twenty five years, this mixture of mem- to this next year. I am looking forward to a great bers will allow us to grow and strengthen. We symposium in Chicago. I am excited about can learn from the earlier years and apply that changes to our website that are in the making. I knowledge to the coming times. am pleased with the response to our Facebook As a founding member of this organization, I page that has been created, and I loved the look can still remember that first meeting at the home of the last Journal that we published with our of Charles and Sally Thomas in Buckeystown, new editor. We have a great new group of mem- MD. Some who attended were already on their bers coming onto the board of directors, with way to becoming legends of the water gardening lots of ideas and enthusiasm for the job. Please world. I wish now that I could recall the names, provide all the support and help they need to but I have to admit, I didn’t realize at the time lead our society into the next 25 years. where the meeting would lead. Here we are Tish twenty five years or so later; some of the pio- neers have passed on or at least made way for the newer generation to take the organization to Editor’s Comments new heights. Others are still going strong. I am by Tim Davis humbled by the dedication that I saw in those This issue is packed with so much informa- early enthusiasts and now in those who are lead- tion that I was not able to fit all the material I ing our group. Thanks to the past leaders and the was given access to. That just means that you best of luck to those of the future. can look forward to some great informative All members can be active participants in material coming in the next issues. I hope you the IWGS. The level of knowledge is so varied enjoy what is in your hand or on your computer that there is a place for all walks of life. Please screen. As always, if you have any new informa- consider the many ways you can get involved. tion that will help your fellow members learn or The symposium that we do annually remains the just be entertained, please feel free to email me. single best option for learning and networking. [email protected] If you haven’t attended one, or if it has been Tim a while, you really should go and meet fellow water gardeners from around the world. Networking has taken a more modern ap- Page 4 The Water Garden Journal Vol. 24, No. 2 Executive Director’s Comments by Keith Folsom proach and should be utilized by each one of us. Get on your computer and see who is talk- ing on our yahoo group discussion board called Let’s Talk Water Gardening. Add your two cents worth to an ongoing discussion or start a topic of your own. While at your computer, sign up and check in often on our Facebook page. Yes, I know some of you may feel intimidated by something that you don’t know much about. However, with a few clicks of your mouse you will find many new friends with similar interests. Saying, “I’m too old to learn that stuff”, is no excuse. I met an 80 year old grandmother in my store the other day that recently discov- ered what it was like to get on a computer and find things. She told me it was so great that she regretted her reluctance. I wish for the best with our new leadership in the coming years. What a fantastic group we have. Let’s make a run for our 50th anniversary! Keith

Last issue we discussed the Let’s Talk Water Gardening website on Yahoo at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LetsTalkWaterGardening/. This issue we want to tell you about a more visual experience as a fan of the International Water- lily and Water Gardening Society on Facebook. You must be a member of Facebook to view any information but it is simple and free. There are a lot of members posting information and photos of what is going on in their own gardens. Please join us in cyberspace as we continue to expand our group to be an even bigger international presence. We have 178 members so far. Join us at http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Inter- national-Waterlily-Water-Gardening-Society/#/ pages/The-International-Waterlily-Water-Gar- dening-Society/78105007401?ref=ts Vol. 24, No. 2 The Water Garden Journal Page 5 Wonderful Waterlily Auction by Tim Davis How would you like to be one of the first people in our country to own some wonderful hybrids created by Dr. Slearmlarp Wasuwat and Pairat Songpanich? What about the 2008 waterlily winner and some other wonderful new hybrids created by Florida Aquatic Nurseries that no one has yet had the opportunity to purchase? That is the possibility if you go to the IWGS symposium in Chicago this year. Pairat Songpanich is the hybridizer of many hardy waterlilies including Nymphaea ‘Siam Blue Hardy’ and Nymphaea ‘Pink Ribbon’. Mr. Songpanich is one of the highlighted speakers at this year’s symposium. He has donated one of his Nymphaea ‘Pink Ribbon’ waterlilies to the society to be auctioned off for the benefit of our organization. Dr. Slearmlarp Wasuwat is a legendary hybridizer and a 1998 IWGS Hall of Fame member. He is from Thailand, so not many people have had the opportunity to acquire some of his hybrids. He and his daughter, Primlarp Wasuwat Chukiatman have very generously donated twelve of his hybrids to the society to also be auctioned off for the benefit of the IWGS. For a collector this could be a once in a lifetime opportunity. The following is a list of the hybrids available for auction along with a photo and hybridizer’s descrip- tion of how they were named. Do not let this opportunity pass you by if you are a serious collector. 1. Nymphaea ‘Dang Thamanoon’ It is also called Nymphaea ‘Daeng Dharmanoon’ The name of this hybrid came from the color and location of hybrid’s discovery. Dang means red in Thai and Thamanoon is the name of the alley that we live in. Dang Thamanoon means red waterlily at Thamanoon alley. 2. Nymphaea ‘Dao Fah’ The name came from the color and shape of this hybrid. Dao means star and fah means blue in the Thai language. Dao Fah means blue waterlily with a star shape. 3. Nymphaea ‘Fah Suhkonth’ The name came from the color and fragrance of this hybrid. Fah means blue in the Thai language. Sukhonth means nice smell. Fah Sukhonth means blue waterlily with a very good smell. In addition, Sukhonth was the name of my aunt that my mom respected. 4. Nymphaea ‘Garnjanatheph’ The name is based on the year that we found this hybrid. That year was the Garnjanapisek year in Thailand (1996). It was the Golden jubilee year which was the year that our beloved King Rama IX had ruled our country for 50 years. 5. Nymphaea ‘Gulyanee’ The name is related to one of the beloved members of Thai royal monarchy. It was chosen to show our respect to her. 6. Nymphaea ‘Larp Prasert’ The waterlily was named for Dr.Wasuwat’s father. 7. Nymphaea ‘Nangkwaug Chompoo 2’ The name came from the color of this strange waterlily. Chompoo means pink in the Thai language. 8. Nymphaea ‘Nangkwaug Fah’ The name came from the color of this strange waterlily. Fah means blue in the Thai language. 9. Nymphaea ‘Piyalarp’ The waterlily was named for Dr.Wasuwat’s son. 10. Nymphaea ‘Poomlarp’ The waterlily was named for Dr.Wasuwat’s nephew. 11. Nymphaea ‘Royal Red’ The name came from the color of this waterlily. The color is very deep dark red. We thought that the word royal was suitable for this rich red color. 12. Nymphaea ‘Swangjitra’ The waterlily was named for Dr.Wasuwat’s daughter in law. 13. Nymphaea ‘Pink Ribbon’ The waterlily was posted on the Water Gardener’s International site in 2006. It was in a group of hybrids that were to be voted on in a beauty contest of hybrids. Soon after the voting opened, Joyce Grigonis, a WGI member from Peconic, New York, cast her ballot. Joyce was battling breast cancer. She wistfully wrote after making her selection from the seedlings, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a waterlily could be named in support of breast cancer awareness?” This waterlily became the winner and Mr. Songpanich quickly agreed to name it Nymphaea ‘Pink Ribbon’ to help support a Page 6 The Water Garden Journal Vol. 24, No. 2 Wonderful Waterlily Auction by Tim Davis most worthy cause. The following is an anecdotal story told by Larry Nau about the Nymphaea ‘Nangkwag’, Nymphaea ‘Nang Kwak’ or Nymphaea ‘Nangkwaug’ variety of waterlilies. “This lily features enlarged, unique sepals. According to Dr. Sam Wasuwat, a dealer brought him this lily a long time ago and said its name was Indian or Hindu Goddess but he wanted a Thai name for it. Dr. Sam when he saw this lily, thought the sepal was in the shape of a female finger bent to call someone. He thought of Nangkwaug, aThai legendary nymph, that Thai people believe can bring customers to their business. The name given by Dr. Sam was Nymphaea ‘Nangkwaug’. Nang means lady and kwaug means finger bent as if to call someone.”

Nelson Water Gardens in Katy Texas is providing Nymphaea ‘Foxfire’ by Craig Presnell andNympha - ea ‘June Alison’ by Charles Winch. Rolf Nelson has generously offered to grow out the collection and ship them to winners of the auction in the continental United States at no cost. Arrangements for ship- ping will be made for those winners from outside the United States. Brad McLane of Florida Aquatic Nurseries has very generously donated last year’s winning waterlily in the IWGS contest as well as other new hybrids that were in the competition. These are unavailable on the market for anyone to purchase until at least next year. They include Nymphaea ‘Ultra Violet’, Nym- phaea ‘Bull’s Eye’ and Nymphaea ‘Coral Sky’. By the time the rest of the world can buy these, a knowl- edgeable grower will have more than one plant from the winter’s tubering process. Vol. 24, No. 2 The Water Garden Journal Page 7

IWGS: Designated Keepers of the Names of Nelumbo Dr. Ken Tilt, Warner Orozco Obando, CJ McGrath, Bernice Fischman Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama The members of the Lotus Project Team at Auburn University (AU) were awarded the opportunity to help continue the development of the official cultivar registration list for the genus Nelumbo and the two species N. nucifera and N. lutea and their inter- specific crosses. We are launching our initial efforts and asking for your critical review of the listed cultivars and welcome your additions of information and photographs to create a reliable resource for others to use. The end result will hopefully capture centuries of creative works from around the world giving proper credit to the people who developed and saw something special that needed to be cloned for future generations to enjoy. Why? Who cares? What difference does it make? Without plants, we would not exist. Some evening when you are in a philosophical mood and have your feet up, enjoying a glass of wine looking at a moonlit garden, try to think of something in your life that is Nelumbo nucifera ‘CCA White Orange’ not directly or indirectly linked to plants. Grant Mitchell, Australia In the process of developing and teaching a course in plant propagation and being a long-time member of the International Plant Propagators Society (IPPS), We gained a deep appreciation for the people and history of those who chose plant production and development as a profession. Cer- tainly, at the base of this profession is the ability to identify and have knowledge of the unique genetic traits of the plant being used or propagated. In earlier, not too distant times, most gardeners and farmers kept a close eye on their plants for vigorous, more floriferous or heavier fruiting plants and collected seed or a vegetative propagule to develop superior plant lines called landrace, heritage or heirloom plants. The products of plant propagation (like much of horticultural production, agronomy, and other farming ventures) have been pushed to the background of most people’s lives. You can survive on the work, knowledge, and expertise of others and the regulatory or voluntary protections of government and plant societies. We had an eye-opening trip to the Outback of Australia visiting Ayers Rock (Uluru is the Aboriginal name). It is a 1200 ft (365.7 m) tall, 2 mile (3.2 km) long monolith of sandstone crusted with iron oxide nestled in an oasis hundreds of miles from burgers, bars, bistros, ballparks, and anything that resembles our current specialized, supported lifestyles. It was a sacred spot of the native people, provided water and shelter, and is a symbol of their religion. We got a chance to experience the brilliant southern sky Page 8 The Water Garden Journal Vol. 24, No. 2

IWGS: Designated Keepers of the Names of Nelumbo Dr. Ken Tilt, Warner Orozco Obando, CJ McGrath, Bernice Fischman Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama with millions of stars when the sun went down and the red iron emitted an eerie glow as the sun passed over the horizon. It was what the Aboriginal people experienced thousands of years ago. We saw the world as it was then. In the daylight hours we got a sense of their daily scrounging for food and water, necessary preoccupations for survival. They knew that water was likely to be found beneath the red gum trees (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) which grew in old stream beds and edible grubs could be found at the roots of some shrubs. Some plants were edible or good medicine and some, OOPS, were not. Someone had to know and teach these things. The main hieroglyphs on the rock walls were of hunting victories, sources of water, and maps to plants. With civilization, life became specialized and plants and animals became domesticated. Wandering aimlessly scavenging for food plants was obsolete like record albums and home phones. Plant knowledge was power and plant people were highly regarded. This information was guarded and passed down through families. Take a large leap forward to Carl von Linnaeus who developed the Binomial System in 1753 for naming plants that evolved into an agreement of the Code of In- ternational Nomenclature. Every plant now has its own unique name and since the name is written in Latin, it does not change over time. It is the same whether you are in Wuhan (China), Paris (France) or Opelika (Ala- bama). Each plant species is classified within a par- ticular genus and specific epithet. Clonal and varietal selections within the species should be specific as well to assure consistency of promised traits such as flower color, size, hardiness, absence of thorns, sweetness, non-poisonous, disease resistance, heat tolerance, seed- less, drought tolerance etc. If a person actively developed a plant, they deserve the recognition or monetary Vol. 24, No. 2 The Water Garden Journal Page 9

IWGS: Designated Keepers of the Names of Nelumbo Dr. Ken Tilt, Warner Orozco Obando, CJ McGrath, Bernice Fischman Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama benefits for their efforts. If they invested money into legal patent registration or to marketing protection under trademark laws, they deserve to have their work protected as well although this occurs through other plant protection groups. Who determines if a plant is significantly different (not necessarily better) to warrant “official” recognition of the name? The IWGS, as the designated International Cultivar Regulator Authority (ICRA) for the genus Nelum- bo does not assure superior plants and is not responsible for policing uniqueness, only that the cultivar names have not been used before within the species. The International Society of Horticultural Science’s Commission of Nomenclature and Cultivar Registration is the organizational group trying to assure accuracy in plant naming. This system, unlike the one for trademarks and patent registration, is voluntary. The International Society of Horticultural Science (ISHS) is the umbrella organization that delegates specific plant genera to an ICRA such as IWGS. Other “Keepers of the Names” include the Rhododen- dron, Camellia, Holly, and other societies that spread the workload among obvious experts and people who have genuine interest in assuring accuracy. The ICRA should publish any new cultivar registration so an official record and date of the new name can be verified. It is a good and an important function of any plant society. Although it is not the function of the ICRA to assure uniqueness of a new named plant registration, it is important that the registrant not be frivolous in naming for naming sake. Every seedling has the potential of being named as a new cultivar. They are all genetically different. The naming of a new plant should be reserved for a distinct improved trait that is worthy of preserving and contributes to the diversity and utility of the genus. The newly named cultivar should have also been propagated to prove that the desired selected trait is reliably expressed in the new clones. A problem occurs when you have several thousand years of plant development and introductions and no official database. This is the challenge before the IWGS. We not only have our breeders and plant hobbyists in the United States but we have plant specialists around the world that have been selecting and breeding new introductions for centuries. We will do the best we can. The following is our plan of attack and our current status. • We begin with our own collection of American, Chinese, and assorted other cultivars (about 160) and collect and insert the required data in our unofficial database. • We use reliable data from respected authors in other countries to mine information and names of cultivars. • When “official” we will post this database to the IWGS web site.At this point we will keep the registration at AU with strong declarations that this is a work-in-progress and needs experts in the society to verify the names. • We utilize the forms and information for registration given to us by IWGS but try to get information that is specific to meet the practical needs of our members and others with an interest inNelumbo . • When we were a low-tech society, we relied on verbal plant descriptions. We still keep a paper trail in a notebook including all descriptive data. However, we now have access to the internet and re- quest additional specific identifying photos to post for each new registration including: • Flower: bud, days 1,2,3, 4 and close up of stamens and pistil (use a ruler for a few pictures as a frame of reference for size) • Seed pod: receptacle young, receptacle mature • Leaves: coin leaves, standing leaves Page 10 The Water Garden Journal Vol. 24, No. 2

IWGS: Designated Keepers of the Names of Nelumbo Dr. Ken Tilt, Warner Orozco Obando, CJ McGrath, Bernice Fischman Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama • Plant: picture of entire mature plant • Picture of dormant rhizome • Other: Include any other distinctive picture(s) of the plant to help the viewer distinguish a cultivar from similar registrations • Our next step is to post our work-to-date and have you verify what we have. We welcome your close scrutiny of the pages so that when we declare it “official” people will have confidence in its accuracy. • Please pay special attention to the following: This is an IWGS effort to play catch-up and offer a credible resource of cultivars for the genus Nelumbo. What we are posting has mistakes! Some have already been recognized. Our job is to put the names forward in a format that is relatively easy for the members to review. Our members have many more years and experience than the relative newcomers at Auburn University. This is an unofficial list until the membership has enough confidence to call it official. We have tried to use reliable sources but welcome your corrections and submissions of cultivars we do not have or to fill in for missing pictures and information. • We will also continue to seek additions from our many international members and non-members. Researchers and Nelumbo enthusiasts from China, India, Australia, Japan, and other countries have offered their collaborative efforts. • We are posting a collage of flowers for users of the database to select specific colors and types of flowers so the visitor can quickly pick a flower of interest or to compare with their potential plant release without going through every plant page. (Every page does not have pictures so can be frustrating.) • Our on-line registration form is a PDF that must be printed then mailed or faxed. All new plant registrations will be reviewed and entered on-line and stored in our paper archive. It can be found on the IWGS web site: http://www.iwgs.org/ link to AU Horticulture or by direct access at www.ag.auburn.edu/hort/landscape. We encourage you to review our database and comment as well as submit your registrations and photos to build on our efforts to become “official.”

Nelumbo nucifera ‘Loss for Words’ Nelumbo nucifera ‘Heaven’ Grant Mitchell, Australia Grant Mitchell, Australia Vol. 24, No. 2 The Water Garden Journal Page 11

The above photo compilation is a small part of the information already available on the Auburn Univer- sity web site. As was stated in the article, this is an ongoing project that will probably outlive many of us. It is necessary to collect as much knowledge in one central archive to properly catalogue the beauty and the diversity now and in the future of the genus Nelumbo. Page 12 The Water Garden Journal Vol. 24, No. 2

Intersubgeneric Cross in Nymphaea spp. L. to Develop a Blue Hardy Waterlily by Pairat Songpanich1 and Vipa Hongtrakul2 Abstract Five waterlily cultivars, with good fruit or pod setting and many beautiful flowers, from the subgenus Nymphaea (hardy waterlily) were used as a pod (female) parent. Waterlilies from the subgenera Anec- phya (two entities) and Brachyceras (twenty entities), specifically the blue-flowered ones, were used as a pollen or male parent for transferring blue-flowered characteristic to the hardy waterlily. Cross pollination or hybridization of subgenus Nymphaea with subgenus Anecphya was unsuccessful. A successful crossing between the subgenera Nymphaea and Brachyceras yielded one pod with 244 seeds, from which only 39 seeds germinated, yielding 20 good intersubgeneric hybrid plants. The characteristics of hybrids had been categorized by their flower colors and divided into two groups, namely, the pink- flowered group with 17 hybrids and the blue-flowered group with 3 hybrids. In the blue-flowered group, there was a prominent one with beautiful blue-purple flower, which had also been proven to be a hybrid between Nymphaea and Brachyceras subgenera by the PCR-RFLP marker, as well as other inherited plant characteristics, for example, ovary carpel, leaf or pad, and rootstock. The prominent blue-purple flowered hybrid had important characteristics inherited from the hardy waterlily (subgenusNymphaea ); therefore, the hybrid has been named as Nymphaea ‘Siam Blue Hardy’ to honor the birth place. Key words: waterlily, blue hardy, pollination, intersubgeneric, hybrid Introduction Waterlilies are in the family Nymphaeaceae, consisting of six genera: Barclaya, Euryale, Nuphar, Nymphaea, Ondinea and Victoria (Anon, 2008). The plants in Nymphaea genus can be divided into two groups: Apocarpiae and Syncarpiae. The first group consists of three subgenera:Anecphya (an Australian tropical waterlily), Confluentes (an Australian tropical waterlily) (Jacobs & Porter, 2007) and Brachyceras (day blooming tropical waterlily), and the Syncarpiae group consists of three subgenera: Hydrocallis (night blooming tropical waterlily), Lotos (night blooming tropical waterlily) and Nymphaea (hardy waterlily) (Slocum, 2005). Nymphaea flowers usually bloom for three days, blooming during the day and flower closing during the night with different blooming times for each subgenus. The Anecphya, Confluentes, Brachyceras, and Nymphaea are day bloomers while Hydrocallis and Lotos are night bloomers. Waterlilies naturally have solitary-perfect flowers that can not be self-pollinated within a single flower (Vandaveer, 2003). However, the protogynous phenomenon in the Nymphaea genus is the event in which the stigma is receptive for accepting the pollen from a different flower before the pollen in the same flower is ready to shed or pollinate. This results in the stigma of theNymphaea genus becoming ready to be pollinated during the first bloom with the pollen shed from another flower/plant on the second day and third day of blooming. However, exceptions exist for some species where the pollen is ready to shed for pollination or fertilization on the first day as the stigma receptivity, enabling pollination or fertilization occurring within a same single flower. The cross pollinations are mainly done between different varieties or cultivars in the same species. The characteristics of the plants are thus limited to the scope of each type, unlike the human curiosity to experience and create new exotic plants in addition to what nature has provided. Gardeners/breeders have been trying to put desired characteristics of an interesting plant (from a cultivar, species or even genus) to a different one (Samphantharak, 1985). In Nymphaea, cross pollination has been done between different species in the same subgenus. However, the waterlilies in Syncarpiae group consist of the three Vol. 24, No. 2 The Water Garden Journal Page 13

Intersubgeneric Cross in Nymphaea spp. L. to Develop a Blue Hardy Waterlily by Pairat Songpanich1 and Vipa Hongtrakul2 stated subgenus with limited flower colors and none of them can provide the blue color. The Apocarpiae group, however, possesses sundry colors including blue in the subgenera Anecphya, Confluentes and Brachyceras. Hence, enthusiasts of exotic plants have been trying to bring or transfer prominent characteristics or traits of one waterlily to another. For example, pollinating hardy waterlilies to achieve one with blue or other colors of flower not seen before, pollinating night blooming waterlilies to develop yellow-flowered ones, and to pollinate perpetual bloomers likeN . ‘Jongkolnee’ to get perpetual bloomers with better looking flowers. In the past, intersubgeneric pollination in Nymphaea was done for the hope of creating a “blue hardy waterlily” hybrid. It has been a dream for breeders or hybridizers all over the world. Latour-Marliac (1893, 1899) hybridized hardy waterlily with tropical waterlilies, but was unsuccessful to create one with the blue flower. Reditt (1989) reported on Andrea Protopapas’ affection on hybridizing and his continuing attempt to create the blue hardy waterlily. Nash (1966) also mentioned about Perry D. Slocum of the United States who has also been trying to produce the blue hardy waterlily. The biggest obstacle for these enthusiasts is probably due to failure to develop mature intersubgeneric zygote, involving the chromosome difference between the tropical waterlily and the hardy waterlily. Speichert et al. (2004) mentioned the only colors not found in hardy waterlilies are blue and purple. From the efforts of many hybridizers and a period of more than 100 years of hybridization, a new generation of hybridizers still dream and endeavor to create the blue flower hard waterlily. This study reports on the cross pollination of a hardy waterlily with a blue-purple flowered tropical waterlily to develop the blue hardy waterlily. Material and Methods Five hardy waterlily cultivars with a history of successful fruit set, plus beautiful and numerous flowers from the subgenus Nymphaea were used as a pod or female parent. The blue-flowered subgenera Anecphya and Brachyceras were used as a pollen or male parent. Two ecotypes were from the subgenus Anecphya and twenty ecotypes were from the subgenus Brachyceras. The pollination was done through direct crossing with no reciprocal crossing with the following steps: 1. Choose a good flower in the pod parent plant in the subgenusNymphaea on the first day of blooming 2. Cover the flower in the pod parent plant with silk cloth bag at one day before the cross pollination. Nectar can be observed in the stigmatic disc while the stamen still does not need to be removed because it is not ready to shed pollen on the same day of pistil receptivity, according to the protogynous behavior of the plant 3. Choose a pollen parent plant from the subgenus Anecphya or Brachyceras that has been blooming for two or three days as the anther should be open to release the pollen. The appropriate time would be around 8:00-10:00 a.m. 4. Cut the anther onto a spoon, observing the yellow pollen on the anther 5. Pour or shake the pollen onto the stigma disc of the pod parent plant flower and lightly stir with a brush to spread the pollen evenly 6. Cover the cross-pollinated flower with silk cloth bag, close and tie up the end of the silk cloth bag 7. Label the details of pollination onto a tag or card attached to the peduncle 8. After blooming for three days, the cross-pollinated flower will begin to sink beneath the water. Page 14 The Water Garden Journal Vol. 24, No. 2 Intersubgeneric Cross in Nymphaea spp. L. to Develop a Blue Hardy Waterlily by Pairat Songpanich1 and Vipa Hongtrakul2 Leave the pollinated flower for two weeks and observe any changes. If the flower rots, there was no seed set or cross fertilization, but if the sepal and petal remain, the ovary will enlarge into a pod. 9. About 3 - 4 weeks after the pollination, the pod will produce seeds covered by gelatin (the gelatin helps the seeds travel along the water to spread out the seeding or growing area). Put or soak the seeds in the silk cloth bag into a water-filled container for two days. Wash the gelatin off the seeds as it begins to dissolve. Separate the healthy seeds from the abnormal ones. 10. Enter or bring the seeds into the stratification process by keeping in a temperature controlled environment of 4-5 degrees Celsius for at least two months for breaking the dormancy of the seeds, and then plant the seeds for studies according to characteristics or traits involved in intersubgeneric hybridization. Research studies were done during the period of 2003 to 2007 at the Nonthaburi, Phathumtani and Bangkok provinces as follows: For verifying hybridity, one plant from each of the three types of hybrids in flower coloring (constant coloring, lighter pink on inner petals, and darker pink on outer petals) with healthy flowers were selected from the pink group and one from the blue group for testing. The methods used were molecular marker method and morphology marker method. Verification by using the DNA markers Genomic DNA samples were extracted, from the petals of the parents and the four hybrids derived from the intersubgeneric crossing, following the method modified from Molecular Biology Laboratory Protocols (http://www.cipotato.org/train- ing/Materials/Molecular/Molecular.asp). DNA fingerprints were generated based on a co-dominant - PCR-RFLP marker specific to ITS (Internally Transcribed Spacer) of nrRNA (nuclear ribosomal RNA) gene. The PCR reactions were performed in 12.5 µl of a mixture containing 20 ng DNA, 10 mM Tris-HCl pH 8.8, 50 mM KCl, 0.08% Nonidet P40, 0.2 µM of each primer, 2.0 mM MgCl2, 0.1 mM of each dNTP and 1U of Taq DNA polymerase (Fermentas, Canada). The primers (F: 5’-TCGCTCCTACCGATTGAATG-3’ and R: Figure 1. Research Work Flow Chart 5’-TCCTCCGCTTATTGATATGC-3’) were at the conserved regions of 18S and 26S genes. The amplification condition was 3 min at 94ºC, followed by 35 cycles of 30 sec at 94ºC, 1 min at 59ºC and 2 min at 72ºC, and finally for 5 min at 72ºC to complete extension. The amplified products of about 870 base pairs were cut with three restriction enzymes (AluI, RsaI, MseI), then were electrophoresed in 1% agarose gel, followed by ethidium bromide staining and visualization under UV light. Results The intersubgeneric cross pollination of the subgenus Nymphaea with the subgenus Anecphya did not reveal any success, probably due to the big difference in chromosomes yielded abortive zygote. Usu- ally both the subgenera Nymphaea and Brachyceras typically have chromosome counts of 2n = 2x = 28 while the subgenus Anecphya has 2n = 16x = 244 (Pagels, 2000), making it rather difficult to get seed set. However, the cross pollination between subgenera Nymphaea and Brachyceras produced one pod Vol. 24, No. 2 The Water Garden Journal Page 15 Intersubgeneric Cross in Nymphaea spp. L. to Develop a Blue Hardy Waterlily by Pairat Songpanich1 and Vipa Hongtrakul2 with 244 seeds, yielding 39 seedlings and 20 of them survived to mature plants for producing interesting flowers of various types with the following characteristics: 1. Flower The subgenus Nymphaea pod parent plant had pink flowers and theBrachyceras pollen parent had blue purple flowers. The flower colors of hybrids are displayed in Figure 2, which could be character- ized into two groups as follows: Pink Group contains 17 hybrids with the color ranging from light pink to dark pink. There are two interesting observed characteristics in this group. The first is that the flowers with light pink in color on the first day tended to fade to whitish color for the inner petals, but the tips of the petals became more dark pink. Examples can be seen in flowers of hybrid plant numbers 4, 8 12 and 14. The second is that the flowers with dark pink tended to have a lighter tone at the lower part of the inner petals, for example, in flowers of hybrid plant numbers 1, 2, 9, 10, 15, 19 and 20. Both of these observed characteristics are rare in the subgenus Nymphaea, but rather common in Brachyceras. The remaining six of the hybrid plants in this group have constant coloring on the flowers. Blue Group contains three hybrid plants (numbers 3, 16 and 18) with flower colors similar to that in the pollen parent (blue-purple). The inner color at the petal base is lighter than other parts. The color on the anther tip in hybrids is similar to that in Figure 2. Flowers of parents and their intersubgeneric F1 hybrids the pollen parent. For the flowering of the hybrid plants, most of subgenus Nymphaea x subgenus Brachyceras of them had no trouble in producing flowers like their parents, with numerous flowers like the pollen parent. Only few hybrid plants had trouble producing flowers. 2. Ovary carpel By cutting the ovary of the flower with a razor horizontally, it could be seen that the ovary contains many carpels and the walls of each carpel is connected to each other, giving it the “Syncarpous” trait or characteristic. If the walls were independent and not connected, it would be called “Apocarpous.” The wall of the carpel is an imporant characteristic for botanists to categorize or identify the Nymphaea plants into two groups (Conard, 1905 and Jacobs & Porter, 2007) as follows: 2.1 Apocarpiae group containing three subgenera: Anecphya, Confluentes and Brachyceras 2.2. Syncarpiae group containg three subgenera: Hydrocallis, Lotos and Nymphaea The result from cutting the ovary of the twenty hybrids reveal that they are all syncarpous, which means they recieved this characteristic from the pod or female parent (Nymphaea) in the syncarpiae group. 3. Pad The pad or leaf margin characteristic in the hardy waterlily (Nymphaea) is entire while in the tropical waterlily (Brachyceras) it is dentate. All the obtained hybrids have an entire pad margin. Thirteen Page 16 The Water Garden Journal Vol. 24, No. 2 Intersubgeneric Cross in Nymphaea spp. L. to Develop a Blue Hardy Waterlily by Pairat Songpanich1 and Vipa Hongtrakul2 hybrids have flecked pads like the pollen or male parent and seven hybrids have plain green pads like the pod parent. The hybrids all have pubescence at the petiole and peduncle, like the pod parent. 4. Rootstock All obtained hybrids have rootstock that tends to grow horizontally in the rhizome pattern like the pod parent. The underground rootstock for the pollen parent grows vertically with a tuber stem. Most hybrids have numerous roots, the characteristic from the pollen parent, which is useful for obtaining food and root penetrating into the ground. 5. Verifying hybridity 5.1 Verification by using the DNA markers From the DNA fingerprints, generated based on a co-dominant - PCR-RFLP marker specific to ITS (Internally Tran- scribed Spacer) of nrRNA (nuclear ribosomal RNA) gene after the amplified products of about 870 base pairs were cut with three restriction enzymes (AluI, RsaI, MseI), then electrophoresed in 1% agarose gel, followed by ethidium bromide stain- Figure 3. DNA Markers ing and visualization under UV light (as in Figure 3), each parent did possess distinct DNA patterns or alleles that were found to combine in all the hybrids tested. 5.2 Morphology marker method The results from comparing morphological markers in the hybrids with those of the pod and pollen parents indicated that all three types of hybrids are true intersubgeneric hybrids (Figure 4). The results from the four hybrid samples showed that the hybrid can receive or inherit genetic characteristics or traits from both the pod (Nymphaea) and pollen (Brachyceras) parents. The flower or petal colors of the hybrids are pink and blue-purple. All hybrids flower above water level like theBrachyceras . The carpels in all obtained hybrids are Syncarpous in nature with connected walls. Also, the pad margin is entire, inherited from the pod parent (Nymphaea), but most hybrids have flecked pad like the pollen parent (Brachyceras). Other than that, all hybrids have rhizome rootstock, inherited from Nymphaea that grows horizontally. For the blue group hybrids, most characteristics or traits were transferred from the Brachyceras such as flower color, flowering above water, but the carpel is Syncarpous which is Nymphaeaa characteristic. The entire pad margin is a Nymphaea characteristic while the flecked pad is aBrachyceras characteristic. Lastly, the rootstock grows horizontally like the subgenus Nymphaea. Discussion 1. Cross-pollinated hybrids Successful intersubgeneric cross-pollinating of waterlilies is very difficult to obtain because of the chromosome difference between subgenera. There are reports from Doran et al. (2004) and Les et al. (2004) on successful cross-pollinating between different subgenera. However, their success was on Vol. 24, No. 2 The Water Garden Journal Page 17 Intersubgeneric Cross in Nymphaea spp. L. to Develop a Blue Hardy Waterlily by Pairat Songpanich1 and Vipa Hongtrakul2

Figure 4. The characteristics of the parents and offspring or hybrids between them crossing between subgenera Anecphya and Brachyceras which are both in the Apocarpiae group. In this study, the cross-pollination was done between members of the subgenera Nymphaea and Brachyceras from the Syncarpiae and Apocarpiae, respectively. The results from both DNA molecular marker and morphological marker tests of four hybrid samples confirmed that they are hybrids. 2. The reason to conclude that a blue hardy waterlily was developed from this study Since the blue-flowered hybrid resulted from the cross-pollination between subgeneraNymphaea and Brachyceras, the name should involve both hardy and tropical waterlily. However, the specific characteristics of the hybrid are mostly found in the hardy waterlily (Nymphaea) and the only tropical characteristic is the flowering above the water and the blue color, so it is considered to be a hardy waterlily (Nymphaea) (Table 1). The important characteristic to identify the plant as hardy waterlily is the connected walls of the carpels, entire margin of pads, rhizome rootstocks and horizontal growth. These characteristics decide or indicate if the waterlily is hardy or tropical. The hybrids in this research have all three characteristics to define them as true hardy waterlilies (Table 1). As stated above, the flower colors of the hybrids can be divided into two groups, pink with 17 plants and blue-purple with 3 plants. The flower color, shape and tone differentiate across the obtained hybrids. These hybrids have “new colors” that have not been seen before in hardy waterlily, so it could be claimed that these hybrids are the first group of blue hardy waterlilies in the world.All have blue-purple colors with only one (hybrid plant number 3) that has healthy and numerous flowers.This unique one is the “the first blue hardy waterlily of the world” which has been created or developed inThailand in the year 2007. For honoring the birth place of the blue hardy waterlily, it is named Nymphaea ‘Siam Blue Page 18 The Water Garden Journal Vol. 24, No. 2 Intersubgeneric Cross in Nymphaea spp. L. to Develop a Blue Hardy Waterlily by Pairat Songpanich1 and Vipa Hongtrakul2

Hardy waterlily Tropical day blooming waterlily Characteristic Hybrid (subgenus Nymphaea) (subgenus Brachyceras) Flowers Colors include white, all shades Colors include white, all shades 17 hybrids have pink of pink, red, yellow and of pink, red, yellow, autumn, shades and 3 hybrids changeable autumn (orange). blue, purple and undertones of have purple/blue. All Many, though not all, float on the green. All stand above the water stand above the water surface of the water and many are and shapes are usually starry but and have starry and cup-shaped with some starry. some varieties are more cupped. cup-shaped. Carpels A characteristic of all hardy A characteristic of all tropical day All hybrids have waterlily is that the carpels share flowering waterlily is that each carpels that share a a single common wall between carpel has its own wall which single common wall, adjacent carpels. This is called separates it from the adjacent Syncarpous type. “Syncarpous”. (Conard, 1905) carpels. This is called “Apocarpous”. (Conard, 1905) Pads Hardy waterlily pads are rather Tropical waterlily pads are All hybrid pads have thick and leathery with smooth usually somewhat thin with edges the smooth edges. 13 edges. Most are plain green slightly scalloped or toothy. They hybrids are flecked, 7 though many are lightly mottled can be plain green, flecked, pads are plain green. with maroon when young. An mottled or whorled with maroon exception is N. 'Arc-en-ciel' or bronze. which is green, pink and maroon. Growth Habit Grow horizontally from and Grow from a single central crown. All hybrids grow along a fleshy rhizomatous All leaves and flowers radiate horizontally from and rootstock. "Eyes" at points along from this point and growth is along a fleshy the rhizome produce new vertical rhizomatous crowns. rootstock.

Table 1. Comparison of the characteristics between hardy and tropical day blooming waterlilies and their hybrids (Adapted from Knotts, 2003)

Hardy’ (Figure 5). The next step in studies is to create more waterlily cultivars from the successful hybridzation and to make reciprocal cross as well as backcross to the blue-flowered parent and select the ones with the dark blue color with not less than 40 petals. Conclusion In order to develop a blue hardy waterlily through cross-pollination, plants in subgenus Nymphaea as pod parent were crossed by plants from subgenus Anecphya and Brachyceras as pollen parent. One cross of subgenera Nymphaea and Brachyceras produced hybrids with flowers of pink and blue colors. The resulted hybridity was proven by the molecular markers and morphological markers. The majority of the hybrid characteristics were those in the hardy waterlily, supporting the conclusion that the blue- purple flowered hybrid is a new discovery. Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Dr. Slearmlarp Wasuwat for knowledge and support in the study, Dr. Jinda Jan-orn for manuscript preparation, Khun Wirot Hiranyuprakhon for testing places/areas, Khun Primlarp (Wasuwat) Chukiatman for materials and place for hybridization, Mrs. Kit Knotts (the manager of www.victoria-adventure.org) for information and advice, Dr. N. Nopchai Chansilpa for consultant on hybridization and seedling establishment, Dr. Yongyut Jiamchaisri for advice and solving the problem of algae control, Khun Phishet Prommoon for encouragement and advising in writing the manuscript. At last, thanks to Khun Gantapon Prommoon for help in article translation and to the others (names have not been mentioned) who have given assistance. All photos provided by Pairat Songpanich. References Anon. 2008. Genera of Nymphaeaceae, Germplasm Resources Information Network, GRIN Taxonomy for Plants. www.ars-grin.gov., 17/02/2008. Vol. 24, No. 2 The Water Garden Journal Page 19 Intersubgeneric Cross in Nymphaea spp. L. to Develop a Blue Hardy Waterlily by Pairat Songpanich1 and Vipa Hongtrakul2 Conard, H.S. 1905. The Waterlilies, a Monograph of the Genus Nymphaea. The Carnegie Institute of Washington, Washing- ton D.C. p. 86-87, 126. Doran, A.S., D.H. Les and M.L. Moody. 2004. Nymphaea ‘William Phillips’, a new intersubgeneric hybrid. HortScience 39 (2): 446-447. Knotts, K. 2003. How Do You Tell the Difference between Tropical and Hardy Waterlilies? www.victoria-adventure.org., 02/03/2003. Latour-Marliac, J.B. 1893. The New Hardy Water Lilies. The Garden 12 (23): 582-584. Latour-Marliac, J.B. 1899. Hardy Hybrid Water Lilies. The Garden 3 (18). www. victoria-adventure.org., 20/04/2003. Les, D.H., M.L. Moody and A.S. Doran. 2004. A genetically confirmed intersubgeneric hybrid in Nymphaea L. (Nymphaea- ceae Salisb.). HortScience 39 (2): 219-222. Nash, H. 1996. P. D. Slocum: An American Legacy. Water Gardening. www. victoria-adventure.org., 20/04/2003. Pagels, W. 2000. Chromosome Counts of Waterlilies and Other Nymphaeaceae. www.victoria-adventure.org., 25/05/2003. Reditt, J. 1989. The Quest for the Hardy Blue. Cyprus Weekly. Christmas Edi- tion 1989. www.victoria-adventure.org., 20/04/2003. Samphantharak, K. 1985. Plant Breed- ing. Thai Watanapanich Co., Ltd., Bang- kok, Thailand. 168 p. (in Thai). Figure 5. Flowers of N. ‘Siam Blue Hardy’ Slocum, P.D. 2005. Waterlilies and Lo- tuses: Species Cultivars and New Hybrids. Timber Press, Inc. Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. 260 p. Speichert, G. and S. Speichert 2004. Encyclopedia of Water Garden Plants. Timber Press, Inc., Port- land, Oregon, USA. 388 p. Vandaveer, C. 2003. How Does This Waterlily Protect its Seeds? www.killerplants.com., 15/09/2003.

1 129/106 Perfect Place, Rattanatibet Road, Mueang District, Nonthaburi Province 11000, Thailand 2 Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand Page 20 The Water Garden Journal Vol. 24, No. 2

New Board Member New Board Member Mike Swize Jennifer Zuri Mike Swize is part owner at Nelsons Water Jennifer Zuri currently serves as Marketing Gardens in Katy, Texas and has been with Nel- Communications Manager for Aquascape, Inc. son’s since 1996. In his early years he worked in St. Charles, Illinois. She authored the book, for the late Dr. Kirk Strawn of Texas. Mike The Pond Builder’s Guide to Break Even and has a degree in Horticulture from Texas A&M. co-authored Container Water Gardening for During the week, he manages waterlily propaga- Hobbyists. She served as project manager and tion, and is responsible for 4 large greenhouses editor for other water gardening publications and approximately 2 acres of growing area. He including: learned at the side of several of the legends in Pond Building for Hobbyists our industry. Hobbyists Guide to Pond Fish Mike is quite a good photographer and has Hobbyists Guide to Pond Plants helped with the IWGS in that respect. For a Before working at Aquascape, Jennifer was number of years, Mike grew out the tropical employed in the fitness waterlilies for the IWGS Waterlily Competition. industry in marketing That competition has since been turned over and sales, while also to Duke University for the last few years for a providing group and per- central location for hardy and tropical waterlil- sonal exercise instruc- ies but Mike helps oversees the gathering of tion. She was certified by materials and is actively involved in tabulating the American Council of the results of the judges. Exercise (ACE). Jennifer is an avid run- ner and completed her most recent marathon, the Johnstown Marathon in Johnstown, PA in October 2008 where she qualified to run the Boston Marathon, which she plans to run in 2010. She currently serves as Secretary, newsletter editor, and web administrator for the Fox River Trail Runners club. Jennifer earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Taylor University in Upland, Mike Swize has been appointed by the Board Indiana in 1982. She completed over 30 hours of of Directors to complete the term of Jim Wul- computer science coursework at Waubonsee lschleger. Jim has resigned from the Board. Community College in Sugar Grove, Illinois in 2001. She resides in Elburn, Illinois with her hus- band Robert. She has three children: Stepha- nie (25), Bridget (23), and Cory (20), and one grandchild, Aiden (3). She enjoys gardening, reading, cycling, and running. Vol. 24, No. 2 The Water Garden Journal Page 21

New Board Member New Board Member Kip Northrup Jeff Spillars Kip Northrup owns and operates Blue Thumb Jeff Spillars is the Vice President of Sales & Distributing & Pondbuilder Mfg. in Saginaw Marketing for the Winston Company in Tulsa, Michigan. He resides there along with his lovely Oklahoma. He is well known and well liked wife Nicole. He is well respected within the throughout the industry, and is arguably one of pond community by all who know him. the funniest men in the pond community. The http://www.pondbuilder.com/index.htm Winston algae destroying bacteria ad featuring http://www.mipond.com/ the dour matron and that poses the question; “If Kip is an industry only your mother-in-law was this easy to get rid leader who is ener- of” was a product of his colorful and somewhat getic, non-aligned twisted imagination. The Winston Company, politically within the through Jeff, has been a tireless industry sup- industry. He is suc- porter and contributor for a long time. cessful, possessed of Jeff pos- clear-thinking abilities, sesses social and has a real talent networking for quickly distilling skills and complex issues into knows virtu- easily understandable ally everyone and sensible action in all segments plans. He’s got a great sense of humor, and is of this di- exactly the right kind of person to help us as- verse industry semble our social nucleus in order to create a within which socially oriented organizational environment he routinely which will help draw people to our organization travels. He has from outside the plant community. helped out in He also published a pond magazine for a time the past with various fundraising and promo- and manages to draw up to 300 people to his tional events by the inclusion of these events customer events he holds annually in Saginaw. in his national magazine ads as well as product He is quite proficient in event planning and donations. That demonstrates a highly unusual knows how to create an enticing environment level of commitment as well as ingenuity. He is for attendees. Kip travels extensively and would very excited about the possibility of helping to be in a good position to help us enlarge our create a waterlily & water gardening based so- circle of influence in the overall industry. cial environment within this general community. In fact, it was the reason he gave for agreeing to help us out. This is one of the greatest needs in our industry.

Board of Director Changes Jennifer Zuri, Kip Northrup and Jeff Spillars will be appointed by the Board of Directors at the annual meeting. They will be replacing Dael Wright, Grant Mitchell and Larry Nau as resigning board members effective the annual meeting. Welcome to all our new board members, and a big thank you to our outgo- ing board members. Page 22 The Water Garden Journal Vol. 24, No. 2 Neglected Aquatics Article and Photos by Rowena Burns Tufts of Gold – Lysimachia thyrsiflora The Primulaceae family contains many members, some of which are useful in the water garden, but the most interesting is Lysimachia thyrsiflora, or Tufts of Gold, a remarkable little plant which makes a showy display with its bright golden balls or tufts. The numerous flowers of this littleLysimachia bring co- lour to the water garden before most other plants start to bud. Usually in bloom in May and June, Tufts of Gold deserves much wider recognition. The common name of ‘Swamp loosestrife’ does not help its popularity – though it is no rela- tion to the invasive purple Loosestrife (Lythrum). It is also known as Tufts of Gold, which gives you a fair picture of the small 2-3 cm (1/2 – 1 inch) flowers, which appear on short stems at the leaf axis along the main stem. There are usually several flowers per stem, so that a clump of Tufts of Gold is a cheerful sight. Lysimachia thyrsiflora is a native to cool swamps in North America and Eurasia, though in some areas such as Great Britain, it is considered rare. In the U.S., it is found mostly in the northeastern states, but there are colonies across the continent and in northern California. In Canada it is found in every province and territory, right up into the Arctic Circle, though not common there. The plant itself is usually 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) tall, but can grow as tall as 3 feet (100 cm). The long narrow leaves resemble willow leaves, on pink stems. Lysimachia thyrsiflora multiplies through runners, which spread out and start numerous new plants each summer. The strong rhizomes are actually helpful in stabilizing banks in earth bottom ponds. Even with this growth habit, it does not become invasive. It will grow and bloom in sun or shade, in 1 to 2 inches (2 to 5 cm) of water or in wet mud. The stems are not always strong, so it works well when it is interplanted with a taller plant, which will help to support it. The vivid flowers have a fuzzy appearance due to the long yellow stamens, which surround the ball of petals. The versatility of the Lysimachias in regards to water tolerance probably bears more exploration and testing for suitability in the water garden. The most widely known Lysimachia in the water garden is Creeping Jenny – Lysimachia nummularia. This species is considered an invasive plant in some of the northeastern states. Versatile Creeping Jenny is sold as a submerged plant, works well as a marginal, and will also grow on dry land. The bright yellow star-like blooms are pro- fuse in mid-summer. Lysimachia ciliata ‘Firecracker’ with bright chocolate-red leaves and yellow flowers, and Lysimachia punctata ‘Alexander’ with green and white leaves grow very well in constantly wet conditions. Swamp Candles, or Lysimachia terrestris is another native with a clump of bright gold flowers at the top of tall stems, which is seldom seen in cultivation. The bright golden Tufts of Gold look great contrasting with tall stems of iris. Try combining it with other margin- als in your water garden and enjoy its beauty every spring. Vol. 24, No. 2 The Water Garden Journal Page 23

THE WATER GARDEN JOURNAL Volume 24 Number 2

EDITOR TIM DAVIS EDITORIAL BOARD JAMES ALLISON PAULA BILES BARRE HELLQUIST WALTER PAGELS DISTRIBUTION KEITH FOLSOM IWGS WEBMASTER RANDALL TATE Front cover photo Nymphaea 'Siam Blue Hardy’ The Official Publication of the © Pairat Songpanich INTERNATIONAL WATERLILY AND WATER GARDENING SOCIETY New Board Member Nominee Photos provided by individual nominee. OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY PRESIDENT TISH FOLSOM Back cover photo VICE PRESIDENT JIM PURCELL © Grant Mitchell TREASURER ROWENA BURNS SECRETARY ROBERT BURNS All inside uncredited photos EXEC. DIRECTOR KEITH FOLSOM © Tim Davis BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mission Statement—The International Waterlily & Stephen Blessing, Robert Burns, Rowena Burns Water Gardening Society (IWGS), is a non-profit organi- Tish Folsom, Cathy Green, Grant Mitchell zation of multinational membership dedicated to the Larry Nau, Rolf Nelson, Jim Purcell, Steve Stroupe, furtherance of all aspects of water gardens and their Mike Swize, Thomas Tilley, Dael Wright, associated plants. As an organization we support and Charles Thomas (honorary life term) promote education, research, and conservation in these areas. www.iwgs.org Volume 24, Number 1. The IWGS Water Garden Registrars Journal (ISSN 1069-5982) is published quarterly by The Nymphaea Registration International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society Jim Purcell – [email protected] (The Society), 340 Old Quarry Lane, P.O. Box 602, Green- Verena Liechti – [email protected] ville VA 24440, USA. Phone 540-337-9344 Fax: 540-337- Nelumbo Registration 0738, Email [email protected]. All rights reserved. © 2008. Ken Tilt – [email protected] The Water Garden Journal is indexed in EBSCO’s Garden, Warner Orozco-Obando – [email protected] Landscape & Horticulture Literature Index. ADMINISTRATIVE ADDRESS and Postage paid at Greenville VA, USA and additional mail- SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES ing offices. Basic subscription/ membership rate for one International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society full year is $30 for the online Journal. Hard copy can be 340 Old Quarry Lane, PO Box 602 mailed for an additional $25 per year. Further details Greenville VA 24440 and back issues are available from the administrative 540-337-9344 office in VA. All changes of address and incidents of Fax: 540-337-0738 non-arrival of journals should be notified to the office [email protected] in VA. Opinions expressed by authors and any products reviewed are not specifically endorsed by The Society, EDITORIAL ADDRESS nor does The Society accept any liability arising from the Tim Davis contents of this journal. IWGS Water Garden Journal 1121 G. Hill Rd, Houston, TX 77037 USA 832-274-3377 [email protected] King Rama IX Park in Thailand