Snowflake in the Tropics, Nymphoides indica: Senggigi, Lombok, Indonesia

            Nedel-Ambel, Limnanthemum, Villarsia, Menyanthes, Nymphaea and finally Nymphoides: a variety of names given to our Water snowflake, Floating heart or White water fringe down through many centuries. Not, by the way, to be confused with any kind of water lily as has often been done.
Hendrik Adriaan van Rheede tot Draakenstein (1636-1691), governor for the Dutch East Indies Company of Cochin, India (west coast), and avid botanist, gives a first European description under the name Nedel-Ambel. This is apparently what our plant's designation was in Ayurvedic Indian medicine, for Rheede's main informant about Malabar plants was Itty Achuadan Vaidyan, his close Ayurvedic colaborator in his enormously wide-ranging collecting of plants. The same plant was described by De Tournefort (in 1700) and by the "Blind Visionary" of Ambon, Rumphius (in 1750) respectively as Nymphoides indica and ceramica (= from the island of Ceram). And there were other names as well - e.g. Linnaeus' Menyanthes (1753) - until the work of Carl Ernst Otto Kuntze (1843-1907). Since then (1891) the Nymphoides indica name has stuck.
It can easily be seen how Kuntze was appalled at this confusion with regard to the nomenclatura of this plant and a great many others. Originally a 'mere' druggist', he was also an amateur botanist. He set up a firm which extracted and sold plant oils; ... and he made his fortune, allowing him to travel widely and to take a Ph.D. on a study of  the quinine shrub (1878). Then Kuntze decided to put forward an entirely new system of plant classification. This he did so unwisely and with such personal vehemence that he was soon an outcast in botanist circles. Even today the mere mention of his name can raise the hackles of botanists. Regardless, much of Kuntze's  field work - and even his historical botanical studies - is still up-to-date and a boon to (the history of) botany.
This photo was taken in Senggigi, Lombok, Indonesia, across from the Art Market, meant to entice tourists. The Market lives an unexciting life because tourism here has waned. But the beach just behind is marvellous, and on clear days the majestic Gunung Agung of Bali can be seen shimmering through the haze on the horizon.
   

Taken in: Indonesia / Nusa Tenggara Barat / Pawenang (show map)

Taken on: June 26, 2008

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Nedel-Ambel

Limnanthemum

Nymphaea

Nymphoides indica

Nymphoides ceramica

Hendrik Adriaan van Rheede tot Draakenstein

VOC

Dutch East Indies Trading Company

Cochin

India

Ayurvedic medicine

Malabar coast

Itty Achuadan Vaidyan

J.P. de Tournefort

J.G. Rumphius

Ambon

Carl Ernst Otto Kuntze

quinine

Senggigi, Lombok

Lombok

Bali

Villarsia

Gunung Agung

Carolus Linnaeus

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Camera: Sony DSC-T200, f/5.6, 1/500 sec, 10.4mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Sony DSC-T200
Aperture:	f/5.6
Exposure Time:	0.002 sec (1/500)
Focal Length:	10.4mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Auto, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
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