Nymphaea sect. Chamaenymphaea is a section within the subgenus Nymphaea subg. Nymphaea of the genus Nymphaea native to North America, Asia, and Europe.
Its species have small, erect, cylindric, unbranched rhizomes lacking stolons. Both floating and submerged leaves are produced. The obovate to oval, glabrous, petiolate leaves with an entire margin have glabrous petioles with two primary air canals.
The small, 3âÂÂ7.5 cm wide, white or rosy, flowers have peduncles with 4 primary air canals. The sepals are green. The 8âÂÂ17 petals are white. The filaments are widest above the middle of the filament. The gynoecium consists of 5âÂÂ12 carpels. The fruit bears smooth, ovoid, 2âÂÂ3 mm long, and 1.5âÂÂ2 mm wide seeds.
It was first published as Nymphaea subsect. Chamaenymphaea Planch. by Jules ÃÂmile Planchon in 1853. It was then given a new status as Nymphaea sect. Chamaenymphaea (Planch.) Wiersema published by John Harry Wiersema in 1997. It is placed in the subgenus Nymphaea subg. Nymphaea.
It occurs in North America, Asia, and Europe.
The fossil species â Nymphaea minuta has been described as being very similar to Nymphaea pygmaea and Nymphaea tetragona. It was speculated that it may represent an ancestral species of Nymphaea pygmaea.