Morphometric patterns in the Nymphaea alba-candida complex

Multivariate analyses were used to study the morphological variation in two Nymphaea species, Nymphaea alba L. and Nymphaea candida Presl. Three datasets consisting of qualitative, multistate discrete and continuous characters of water lily plants from 49 localities were analysed throughout The Netherlands. The analyses displayed a clear division between N. alba and N. candida. The classification of the specimens with an intermediate morphology is less stable. The important parameters that account for the differentiation of the taxa were determined, and a comparison was made with those described in the literature. Frequency analyses and multivariate techniques revealed several characters which may be used as reliable identification rules.