Living Collection · Individual record
Nymphaea thermarum
Individual 1
A seed-grown waterlily followed through acclimation, changes in growing conditions and an ongoing comparison with a separately tracked second plant. The history below belongs to Individual 1.
- Scientific name · family
- Nymphaea thermarum Eb.Fisch. · Nymphaeaceae
- Recorded arrival
- August 10, 2026
- Identity and relationship
- Nursery identification as recorded. Two seed-grown plants share a reported source population; exact parentage and relationship remain unknown.
- Collection status
- WATCH · Retained collection plant · Not for sale
Latest recorded condition
On October 18, Stephen reported that both individuals looked much better, especially Individual 2. This supports a dated report of visible improvement, not a later health assessment or an explanation of its cause.
Current record status: observe only. The October 24 instrument readings do not include a new plant-health photograph or condition assessment. No general fertilizer or abrupt change to water, pH, substrate or light is authorized by this record.
The October 8 owner report places Individual 1 in combined bentonite- and calcium-carbonate-sand mock-pot material. Exact transplant timing and the final mixture proportions are unresolved. Earlier Fluval Stratum and RO-water observations remain historical stages, not the current recipe.
Dated history
Arrival and acclimation
The first plant arrived in a sparse fine-mud substrate. Initial nursery culture used RO water, shallow water around the crown and LED lighting. The original substrate's composition was not characterized.
Growth in a changed setup
The recorded setup was 100% Fluval Stratum with RO water in a taller solid pot. Rapid new-pad development was reported. Increased light was proposed as an explanation; it was not isolated experimentally.
Historical foliar application
The journal records a light MAXSEA foliar application at approximately 300 ppm. Product formulation, conversion basis and delivered volume are not established in that entry. This is a historical treatment, not a feeding recommendation.
Moved for closer observation
Individual 1 was moved to another growing location because its condition was concerning. No repot was reported at that move. A cause of decline was not established.
Composite substrate introduced
Individual 1 was reported transplanted into combined amended mock-pot material; Individual 2 received combined no-additive control material. Exact transplant time remains unresolved. The four separate off-plant mock pots were confirmed completed on October 9.
New growth alongside older injury
Photographs documented a bright-green folded central leaf on Individual 1 with extensive older-leaf damage. Both plants' surfaces appeared saturated. New growth does not erase the earlier injury or establish recovery.
Improvement reported
Stephen reported that both plants looked much better, especially Individual 2. No new measurement accompanied this observation.
Measured values, with their limits
The following readings are associated with Individual 1. The Apera sampling location and sample type were not documented. They must not be relabeled as substrate, root-zone or pot-water measurements.
On a narrow screen, the table scrolls horizontally. Its container can receive keyboard focus.
| Date and device-local time | Mode | Reading | Sample temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 13, 2026 06:04:20 AM | pH | 7.61 | 80.2 °F |
| October 13, 2026 06:04:44 AM | Conductivity | 201.0 µS/cm | 80.2 °F |
| October 24, 2026 06:40:43 AM | pH | 8.09 | 79.9 °F |
| October 24, 2026 Approximately 06:43:20–21 AM | Conductivity | 496 µS/cm | 80.6 °F |
The October 13 entries in the accession journal document native-export review. The October 24 Individual 1 values were recovered from a paired-reading conversation summary; their original exports were not independently reopened in that reconciliation. The one-second uncertainty in the conductivity timestamp is retained.
These are separate measurements. Unrecorded sample locations, water additions and calibration context limit comparison across dates. Higher instrument readings alone do not establish a substrate effect, nutrient status or plant response. The separately photographed October 13 thermometer probe was between the outer container and inner pot; that placement does not establish where the Apera readings were taken.
What remains unresolved
The two plants have different cultivation histories and composite substrates. They are not a replicated trial isolating one amendment. No conclusion that bentonite, calcium-carbonate sand or a particular pH caused improvement is supported.
The next useful record is a label-visible view of the crown and newest leaf, older lesions and water level, together with the top-off history. If paired measurements are required by the living protocol, record the same sampling location and method for both individuals, calibration status and exact times.
No verified flowering, fruiting, offset or nursery-propagation outcome is established for Individual 1 in this page's source review. Current physical condition, exact final substrate proportions and reproducible water volumes remain missing.
Evidence and interpretation
- Published evidence: Kew's Plants of the World Online accepts Nymphaea thermarum Eb.Fisch. in Nymphaeaceae. This taxonomic reference does not independently authenticate this nursery specimen.
- Nursery observations: dated owner reports, photographs and instrument records summarized from the existing SM-0131 accession research journal, reviewed through October 24.
- Interpretation: fresh central growth and older injury are tracked separately; the October 18 improvement report remains a dated observation.
- Hypotheses: light, water additions, substrate chemistry and measurement effects are possible influences, not demonstrated causes.
- Unknowns: exact parentage, current condition, several sampling details and a causal explanation of the observed changes.
Individual 2 retains its own history. Earlier records used “clone” as an informal label; both plants are seed-grown and their genetic relationship is unresolved. This page retains the existing master identifier and individual label.
Species dossier · Individual 2 record · Explore the Living Collection · Read the nursery investigations · Botanical Library & Journal