In article , Charles
writes
Nomenclature

Is Nymphaea maculata a new name for Nymphaea lotus? The books I have
are not complete, the information on the web is
confusing/contradictory,or I just don't understand it.

thanks

IPNI (http://www.ipni.org) has N. maculata Raf. as possibly the same as
N. tuberosa, and N. tuberosa as a form of N. odorata, and N. odorata the
same as N. nitida.

It has N. maculata Schum. & Thonn. as the same as N. stellata. (I guess
N. stellata Willd. rather than N. stellata F. Muell.. The latter is N.
gigantea Hook.)

Judging by the information elsewhere on the web, which has N. maculata
as *African* tiger waterlily, and N. tuberosa as (temperate) *American*
white waterlily the majority of references on the web would seem to be
to N. maculata Schum. & Thonn.

N. lotus was introduced by Linnaeus, and unless Linnaeus's name cannot
be identified with a single currently recognised species, takes
precedence over later names for that species.

The Flora of Zimbabwe checklist gives N. lotus and N. maculata as
separate species - http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/fams/nymphaeac.html.

It looks to me as if N. maculata and N. lotus are distinct, but I don't
see the smoking gun.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley