Pygmy Rwandan waterlily
Nymphaea thermarum, family Nymphaeaceae
A tiny white waterlily once thought lost from its Rwandan spring home
The Pygmy Rwandan waterlily is a very small aquatic plant native only to southwest Rwanda. Its white flowers, just 2 cm across, grow from short stalks and float above round leaves. Once believed extinct in the wild, it survives thanks to cultivation in botanic gardens and a rediscovered wild population.
- Smallest known waterlily, with flowers just 2 cm wide
- Native only to a spring in southwest Rwanda
- Once thought extinct in the wild, now grown in gardens
- Rediscovered in the wild in 2023
- Used in research on flowering plant evolution
What does Pygmy Rwandan waterlily look like?
This waterlily is one of the smallest known, with leaves about 3 cm wide and flowers up to 2 cm across. The leaves are round and smooth, held on thin stalks. Its white flowers have 6 to 8 petals and sit just above the water or mud. The fruit is small and holds hundreds of tiny seeds that are bright red to brown. The plant grows from a short rhizome and does not form tubers.
Where does Pygmy Rwandan waterlily come from?
Nymphaea thermarum was first described in 1988 by Eberhard Fischer, who collected it near hot springs in southwest Rwanda. Its name refers to the warm spring where it was found. The species was considered extinct in the wild after its only known habitat was altered for farming, but it was saved in cultivation at botanic gardens in Germany and the UK. In 2023, a new wild population was discovered.
When and how Pygmy Rwandan waterlily blooms
The plant grows in wet soil at the edge of hot springs. It blooms during the day, with flowers opening as female on the first day and as male on the second. After pollination, the flower stalk bends so the fruit can touch the mud, where it releases 300 to 400 seeds. In cultivation, seeds are started in moist loam at warm temperatures.
How Pygmy Rwandan waterlily is used
This waterlily is not widely used in gardens or for decoration, but it is valued by scientists for its small size and fast growth. Researchers use it to study the evolution of flowering plants. Its survival in cultivation has made it a symbol of conservation efforts for rare species.
Kinds of Pygmy Rwandan waterlily
Nymphaea thermarum belongs to the subgenus Brachyceras, though its leaves are more like those of the main Nymphaea group. It does not have any named cultivars. Its closest relatives include Nymphaea dimorpha, which is also used in scientific studies.
What Pygmy Rwandan waterlily means
The Pygmy Rwandan waterlily is a rare plant known mainly to botanists and conservationists. Its story is one of near-extinction and rescue, with plants grown in European gardens after its Rwandan habitat was lost. The species highlights the importance of protecting small and unique habitats.
Where Pygmy Rwandan waterlily is used and seen
Questions people ask about Pygmy Rwandan waterlily
Where does the Pygmy Rwandan waterlily come from?
It is native to a small area in southwest Rwanda, where it grew near hot springs. Its only known wild site was lost to farming, but a new wild population was found in 2023.
What does the Pygmy Rwandan waterlily look like?
It is a tiny waterlily with round leaves about 3 cm wide and white flowers up to 2 cm across. The plant grows close to the ground and produces small fruits with red to brown seeds.
Why is this waterlily important?
It was once believed extinct in the wild and is now a symbol of plant conservation. Scientists also use it as a model species to study the evolution of flowering plants.
Can this waterlily be grown outside Rwanda?
Yes, it has been successfully grown from seed in botanic gardens in Germany and the United Kingdom, where it is kept under warm, moist conditions.
Does the Pygmy Rwandan waterlily have any special uses?
It is mainly used for scientific research because of its small size and short life cycle. It is not commonly used in gardens or for decoration.
Good reading and sources
- Waterlily saved from extinctionBBC, Article
- Smallest waterlily in the world saved from extinctionThe Guardian, Article
- IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesIUCN Red List, Article
- Plants of the World OnlineRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plant database
- Where it has been recordedGBIF, Plant database
- Sightings and photos by naturalistsiNaturalist, Plant database
- Nymphaea thermarum on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Nymphaea thermarum", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. It is not medical or foraging advice: many flowers are poisonous, and traditional uses are reported, not recommended. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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