Leaf bases are closely spaced along the horizontal rhizome, which is variously described as being 3 millimeters (0.1 in) or 4 to 8 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 in) in diameter. The rhizome bears scales, which are linear to lance-shaped, with untoothed or very slightly toothed margins. They are bi-colored, with a shiny central stripe red-brown or shiny chestnut-brown to black in color and narrow light-brown margins, and measure 3 millimeters (0.1 in) long. They are slightly twisted and strongly pressed against the rhizome.
The fronds spring up in clusters; unlike many ferns, they do not unfold as fiddleheads (noncircinate vernation).  They range from 10 to 60 centimeters (3.9 to 24 in) long, sometimes up to 75 centimeters (30 in), and are 0.5 to 3.5 centimeters (0.20 to 1.4 in) broad. The stipe (the stalk of the leaf, below the blade) represents from one-sixth to one-third of the total length of the leaf, and is 3 to 15 centimeters (1.2 to 5.9 in) long. The upper surface of the stipe is rounded and not grooved. The stipe is shiny, dark chestnut brown to black or purplish-black in color. It is covered in straight, white to tan hairs, 2 millimeters (0.08 in) long and more or less pressed against the stipe.
The leaf blades are linear to lance-shaped or elliptical, and pinnate-pinnatifid (cut into deeply lobed pinnae), much less dissected than most Myriopteris species. It is from 1 to 4 centimeters (0.4 to 2 in) wide. The rachis (leaf axis) is densely covered in pubescent hairs, but lacks scales. From 15 to 44 pairs of pinnae are present, attached directly to the rachis or with a short stalk. Each pinna is approximately equilateral in shape, has from 3 to 8 pairs of lobes, which may be cut as shallowly as one-fourth or as deeply as three-fourths of the distance to the costa (pinna axis). The number of lobes and deepness of cutting can vary a great deal between individuals. They are joined to the rachis by a distinct stalk; the dark color of the rachis extends into the stalk but terminates abruptly in a swollen node covered with hairs. The lowest pair of pinnae is slightly smaller than the one above. At the other end of the frond, the pinnae gradually taper to an acute or obtuse apex. The leaf tissue is parchment-like to almost leathery. The upper surface of the pinnae is covered with scattered to abundant hairs, stiff, flattened against the surface, one-celled, and about 2 millimeters (0.08 in) long. They are pale golden-tan in color. The lower surface of the pinnae is also covered in hairs, matted so thickly as to hide the leaf tissue, which vary from white, particularly when young, to rusty red in color. They do not curl up when dried out.
On fertile fronds, the sori are located at the ends of veins near the margin of the leaf, forming a more or less continuous zone adjacent to the margin, which curls back slightly but does not form a distinct false indusium to protect them. The recurved margin is 0.05 to 0.25 millimeters (0.0020 to 0.0098 in) wide. It is somewhat thinner and more delicate than the rest of the leaf tissue, though not quite hyaline. Each sporangium contains 32 dark brown to black spores. The vast majority of M. aurea individuals thus far examined are apogamous triploids, with a chromosome number of 90 present in both sporophyte and gametophyte. A few populations forming 64 spores per sporangium have reportedly been found, and are presumed to be sexual diploids.
Among its congeners M. aurea is most similar to M. yatskievychiana, known only from Sonora which is smaller and has dense white (rather than rusty) hairs on the underside of the leaf. The pinnate-pinnatifid leaf blades distinguish these two species from the rest of the genus, the other species being more highly dissected. M. aurea superficially resembles some species of Astrolepis, such as A. sinuata, which have short, deeply lobed pinnae, but they bear the stellate scales that give their genus its name rather than the hairs seen on M. aurea.


The species was first described as Pteris aurea by Jean Louis Marie Poiret in Lamarck's Encyclopédie Méthodique, Botanique in 1804. He based his description on a specimen collected in Peru by Joseph de Jussieu. The specific epithet aurea, meaning "golden", evidently refers to the "yellow, almost golden" hairs covering the upper surface of the leaves.
In 1810, Carl Ludwig Willdenow recognized Pteris aurea in the 5th edition of Species Plantarum, but also described a new species, Acrostichum bonariense, based on material collected near Buenos Aires (Latinized as "Bonaria"), an illustration of which was published by Johann Amman in 1738. Willdenow evidently did not have access to any of Amman's material, and so failed to recognize the similarity between Amman's fern and Pteris aurea. Confusion was compounded in 1822, when Heinrich Friedrich Link described the species yet again, based on a Humboldt and Bonpland specimen which Willdenow had labeled Cheilanthes ferruginea but had omitted from Species Plantarum. The specific epithet ferruginea means "rusty-reddish", perhaps referring to the color of the hairs below, so described by Willdenow for A. bonariense.
In his Reliquae Haenkeanae in 1825, Carl Borivoj Presl recognized that A. bonariensis and C. ferruginea were the same species, but (illegitimately) invented the new name of Notholaena rufa to encompass both. Placement in Notholaena reflected the placement of the sori at or near the margin of the leaf, combined with an absence of a distinct false indusium formed by that margin. The specific epithet rufa, meaning "reddish", corresponds to his description of the color of hairs on both sides of the leaf. Unfortunately, Presl also included the farinose N. ferruginea (Desv.) Desv. and N. tomentosa Desv. (now considered N. trichomanoides and C. hypoleuca, respectively) within his concept of the species. He distinguished between var. minor of the species, with dense hairs on the upper surface, and var. major, with sparse hairs on the upper surface. Meanwhile, Nicaise Auguste Desvaux also recognized Notholaena, and transferred P. aurea there as N. aurea in 1827. Christian Nees von Esenbeck transferred C. ferruginea to Pellaea as P. ferruginea in 1847, but this was not widely followed.
William Jackson Hooker transferred C. ferruginea to Notholaena in his Species Filicum in 1864, and recognized the distinctness of N. trichomanoides, but his use of the name N. ferruginea was illegitimate as it had already been used by Desvaux, and he failed to recognize N. tomentosa as a distinct species. Hooker's re-use of N. ferruginea for this species led to continued confusion with N. trichomanoides. In 1906 Carl Christensen transferred the more senior A. bonariensis to Notholaena as Notholaena bonariensis, but recognized both N. ferruginea (Desv.) Desv. and N. tomentosa as synonyms. This confusion appears to have led José N. Rovirosa to found another name for the species, Notholaena chiapensis, named for one of his collections in Chiapas; he noted that it was non-farinose, and thought that Hooker's name applied to the farinose species (i.e., N. trichomanoides). It was not until 1939 that Charles Alfred Weatherby, who was looking for type specimens in Desvaux's collections at the Paris herbarium, identified Notholaena aurea as the most senior name for the species in that genus and unraveled the erroneous synonymies.
In 1953, George R. Proctor transferred the species to Cheilanthes as Cheilanthes bonariensis, since the name Cheilanthes aurea was preoccupied. However, most authors continued to place it in Notholaena. One of these was Rolla M. Tryon Jr. who, in 1956, published a revision of American Notholaena incorporating material from Weatherby, who had died in 1949. Tryon accepted the species in Notholaena as N. aurea, and circumscribed it in the fashion presently accepted (including A. bonariensis, C. ferruginea, and N. chiapensis, and excluding N. ferruginea (Desv.) Desv. and N. tomentosa Desv.). He accepted as the type of A. bonariensis a specimen seen by Weatherby in Willdenow's herbarium in Berlin.
Tryon noted that the generic delimitation of Notholaena and Cheilanthes, based on the traditional criterion that the latter had leaf edges curled under and modified into distinct false indusia while the former did not, was unsatisfactory, given the existence of many intermediate forms. In 1982, he and his wife Alice published an extended survey of the ferns in which they narrowed the circumscription of Notholaena, treating N. aurea as C. bonariensis. This classification was widely taken up by other workers. Research at the Berlin herbarium subsequently revealed that the specimen in Willdenow's herbarium came from Mexico, and did not match his original description, registering it ineligible as a type. In 2011, M. Mónica Ponce and Brigitte Zimmer designated Amman's illustration as the lectotype of A. bonariense; as there was some question as to whether the drawing represented C. bonariensis in the conventional sense or Cheilanthes buchtienii, they further designated Willdenow's Mexican specimen as an epitype.
Meanwhile, the development of molecular phylogenetic methods showed that the traditional circumscription of Cheilanthes is polyphyletic. Convergent evolution in arid environments is thought to be responsible for widespread homoplasy in the morphological characters traditionally used to classify it and the segregate genera that have sometimes been recognized. On the basis of molecular evidence, Amanda Grusz and Michael D. Windham revived the genus Myriopteris in 2013 for a group of species formerly placed in Cheilanthes. One of these was C. bonariensis; since the epithet aurea was not preoccupied, they transferred P. aurea to the genus to become Myriopteris aurea. In 2018, Maarten J. M. Christenhusz transferred the species to Hemionitis as H. bonariensis (H. aurea being preoccupied), as part of a program to consolidate the cheilanthoid ferns into that genus.
Further molecular studies in Myriopteris demonstrated the existence of three well-supported clades within the genus. M. aurea belongs to what Grusz et al. informally named the covillei clade. M. aurea and the similar M. yatskievychiana are sister to the rest of the clade; all other members of the clade, except M. newberryi, belong to the "core covillei" clade, with leaves finely divided into bead-like segments, quite dissimilar to M. aurea.
The common names golden lip fern and Bonaire lip fern refer to the epithets bestowed by Poiret and Willdenow, respectively. "Lip fern" comes from the position of the sporangia at the edge or lip of the leaf, typical of the genus.  Lellinger, who referred to the species as N. aurea, called it golden cloak fern; "cloak fern" refers to the reflexed leaf margins of Notholaena, curled back on the sporangia. It has also been called slender cloak fern.


Myriopteris aurea grows throughout Mexico except for Tabasco and the Yucatan Peninsula, where it is the most widespread and abundant fern in the country. The range extends slightly north into the United States, into Arizona, New Mexico, and Trans-Pecos Texas. In the east, it is found among the Greater Antilles and in Venezuela. To the south, it extends through Central America into South America and along the Andes Mountains as far south as Chile and Argentina, and east into Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
The species grows on dry, rocky slopes, and cliffs soil banks, and shrubby hillsides. It tolerates a variety of different rocks, although it is comparatively uncommon on limestone. It is found at altitudes from 600 to 3,800 meters (2,000 to 12,000 ft).


The species is globally secure. NatureServe does not assign conservation rankings for the three states of the United States at the northern edge of its range.


Myriopteris aurea can be grown on moist-dry to dry garden soil, supplemented with sand. The soil must be well-drained and it requires high levels of light. The horticulturist George Schneider, writing in 1892, spoke of it as "an old inhabitant of our gardens".
Edward Palmer collected a specimen at the market in Saltillo in 1898, where he reported that a decoction was prepared from it and drunk to treat "pain in the stomach" and "coughs".


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The jack jumper ant (Myrmecia pilosula), also known as the jack jumper, jumping jack, hopper ant, or jumper ant, is a species of venomous ant native to Australia. Most frequently found in Tasmania and southeast mainland Australia, it is a member of the genus Myrmecia, subfamily Myrmeciinae, and was formally described and named by British entomologist Frederick Smith in 1858. This species is known for its ability to jump long distances. These ants are large; workers and males are about the same size: 12 to 14 mm (0.47 to 0.55 in) for workers, and 11 to 12 mm (0.43 to 0.47 in) for males. The queen measures roughly 14 to 16 mm (0.55 to 0.63 in) long and is similar in appearance to workers, whereas males are identifiable by their perceptibly smaller mandibles.
Jack jumper ants are primarily active during the day and live in open habitats, nesting in bushland, woodlands, and dry open forests, surrounded by gravel and sandy soil, which can be found in rural areas and are less common in urban areas. They prey on small insects and use their barbless stingers to kill other insects by injecting venom. Other ants and predatory invertebrates prey on the jack jumper ant. The average worker has a life expectancy over one year. Workers are gamergates, allowing them to reproduce with drones, whether or not a queen is present in the colony. The ant is a part of the Myrmecia pilosula species complex; this ant and other members of the complex are known to have a single pair of chromosomes.
Their sting generally only causes a mild local reaction in humans; however, it is one of the few ant species that can be dangerous to humans, along with other ants in the genus Myrmecia. The ant venom is particularly immunogenic for an insect venom; the venom causes about 90% of Australian ant allergies. In endemic areas, up to 3% of the human population has developed an allergy to the venom and about half of these allergic people can suffer from anaphylactic reactions (increased heart rate, falling blood pressure, and other symptoms), which can lead to death on rare occasions. Between 1980 and 2000, four deaths were due to anaphylaxis from jack jumper stings, all of them in Tasmania. Individuals prone to severe allergic reactions caused by the ant's sting can be treated with allergen immunotherapy (desensitisation).


The specific name derives from the Latin word pilosa, meaning 'covered with soft hair'. The ant was first identified in 1858 by British entomologist Frederick Smith  in his Catalogue of hymenopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum part VI, under the binomial name Myrmecia pilosula from specimens he collected in Hobart in Tasmania. There, Smith described the specimens of a worker, queen, and male. The type specimen is located in the British Museum in London. In 1922, American entomologist William Morton Wheeler established the subgenus Halmamyrmecia characterised by its jumping behaviour, of which the jack jumper ant was designated as the type species. However, John Clark later synonymised Halmamyrmecia under the subgenus Promyrmecia in 1927 and placed the ant in the subgenus in 1943. William Brown synonymised Promyrmecia due to the lack of morphological evidence that would make it distinct from Myrmecia and later placed the jack jumper ant in the genus in 1953.
One synonym for the species has been published – Ponera ruginoda (also titled Myrmecia ruginoda), described by Smith in the same work, and a male holotype specimen was originally described for this synonym. P. ruginoda was initially placed into the genera Ectatomma and Rhytidoponera, but it was later classified as a junior synonym of the jack jumper ant, after specimens of each were compared. The  M. pilosula species complex was first defined by Italian entomologist Carlo Emery. The species complex is a monophyletic group, where the species are closely related to each other, but their actual genetic relationship is distant. Members of this group include M. apicalis, M. chasei, M. chrysogaster, M. croslandi, M. cydista, M. dispar, M. elegans, M. harderi, M. ludlowi, M. michaelseni, M. occidentalis M. queenslandica, M. rugosa, and M. varians. Additional species that were described in this group in 2015 include M. banksi, M. haskinsorum, M. imaii, and M. impaternata.
Their characteristic jumping motion when agitated or foraging inspires the common name "jack jumper", a behaviour also shared with other Myrmecia ants, such as M. nigrocincta. This is the most common name for the ant, along with "black jumper," "hopper ant", "jumper ant", "jumping ant", "jumping jack" and "skipper ant". It is also named after the jumping-jack firecracker. The species is a member of the genus Myrmecia, a part of the subfamily Myrmeciinae.


Like its relatives, the ant possesses a powerful sting and large mandibles. These ants can be black or blackish-red in colour, and may have yellow or orange legs. The ant is medium-sized in comparison to other Myrmecia species, where workers are typically 12 to 14 mm (0.47 to 0.55 in) long. Excluding mandibles, jack jumpers measure 10 millimetres (0.39 in) in length. The ant's antennae, tibiae, tarsi, and mandibles are also yellow or orange. Pubescence (hair) on the ant is greyish, short and erect, and is longer and more abundant on their gaster, absent on their antennae, and short and suberect on their legs. The pubescence on the male is grey and long, and abundant throughout the ant's body, but it shortens on the legs. The mandibles are long and slender (measuring 4.2 mm (0.17 in)), and concave around the outer border.
The queen has a similar appearance to the workers, but her middle body is more irregular and coarser. The queen is also the largest, measuring 14 to 16 mm (0.55 to 0.63 in) in length. Males are either smaller or around the same size as workers, measuring 11 to 12 mm (0.43 to 0.47 in).  Males also have much smaller, triangular mandibles than workers and queens. The mandibles on the male contain a large tooth at the centre, among the apex and the base of the inner border. Punctures (tiny dots) are noticeable on the head, which are large and shallow, and the thorax and node are also irregularly punctuated. The pubescence on the male's gaster is white and yellowish.


The jack jumper ant genome is contained on a single pair of chromosomes (males have just one chromosome, as they are haploid). This is the lowest number known (indeed possible) for any animal, a number shared with the parasitic roundworm Parascaris equorum univalens. Jack jumper ants are taxonomically discussed as a single biological species in the Myrmecia pilosula species complex. The ant has nine polymorphic loci, which yielded 67 alleles.


The jack jumper ant and its relatives in the genus Myrmecia are among the most dangerous ant genera and have fearsome reputations for their extreme aggression; Guinness World Records certifies the ant Myrmecia pyriformis as the world's most dangerous ant. The jack jumper have been compared to other highly aggressive ant species, such as  Brachyponera chinensis, Brachyponera sennaarensis, and the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta). The retractable sting is located in their abdomen, attached to a single venom gland connected by the venom sac, which is where the venom is accumulated. Exocrine glands are known in jack jumpers, which produce the venom compounds later used to inject into their victims. Their venom contains haemolytic and eicosanoid elements and histamines. It contains a range of active ingredients and enzymatic activity, which includes phospholipase A2 and B, hyaluronidase, acid and alkaline phosphatase. The venom of the ant also contains several peptides; one being pilosulin 1, which causes cytotoxic effects, pilosulin 2, which has antihypertensive properties and pilosulin 3, which is known to be a major allergen. Other pilosulins include pilosulin 4 and pilosulin 5. The peptides have known molecular weights. The LD₅₀ (lethal dose) occurs at a lower concentration than for melittin, a peptide found in bee venom. Its LD₅₀ value is 3.6 mg/kg (injected intravenously in mice).
Loss of cell viability in the jack jumper's venom was researched through cytometry, which measures the proportions of cells that glow in the presence of fluorescent dye and 7-Aminoactinomycin D. Examinations of the rapidly reproducing Epstein–Barr B-cells showed that the cells lost viability within minutes when exposed to pilosulin 1. Normal white blood cells were also found to alter easily when exposed to pilosulin 1. However, partial peptides of pilosulin 1 were less efficient at lowering cell viability; the residue 22 N-terminal plays a critical role in the cytotoxic activity of pilosulin 1.
20 percent of jack jumper ants have an empty venom sac, so failure to display a sting reaction should not be interpreted as a loss of sensitivity. Substantial amounts of ant venom have been analysed to characterise venom components, and the jack jumper has been a main subject in these studies. An East Carolina University study which summarised the knowledge about ant stings and their venom showed that only the fire ant and jack jumper had the allergenic components of their venom extensively investigated. These allergenic components include peptides found as heterodimers, homodimers and pilosulin 3. Only six Myrmecia ants, including the jack jumper, are capable of inducing IgE antibodies. Due to the vast differentiation of venom produced in each Myrmecia species, and other species sharing similar characteristics to the jack jumper ant, diagnosing which ant is responsible for an anaphylactic reaction is difficult. A review of a patient's history with allergies while identifying a positive result of venom specific IgE levels helps to identify the species of ant that caused a reaction.


Despite evidence of their presence in Queensland, CSIRO claim their presence in Queensland is yet to be verified.
The total number of deaths from this 20 year period due to the ant could be higher. One account reports of another fatality in Tasmania and one in New South Wales, although these two deaths may have been caused by a sting from  M. pyriformis.


Myrsine australis, commonly known as māpou, red matipo, māpau, tīpau, and mataira, is a species of shrub within the family Myrsinaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand, found throughout both the mainland and offshore islands.


Myrsine australis is a small shrub or tree, growing from 3–6 metres tall with short upright branches that create a compact crown. The trunk grows up to 20 cm in diameter, with the bark of the trunk and older branches a dark brown/black, whereas the juvenile branches are reddish, a distinguishing feature of this plant. The leaves are coloured pale green with a yellow tinge on the top surface, while the underside of the leaf is a paler version of this. Measuring 3–6 cm in length to 1.5-2.5 cm in width, the leaves are arranged alternatively on the stem and have a leathery texture. The leaf margins are normally wavy, however some uncommon forms may also have flat leaf margins. Each leaf blade is typically covered in round, translucent glands, and is connected to a red, approximately 5mm long, leaf stalk. These leaf stalks, also called petioles, can vary in colour and size as a result of environmental conditions and local population trends.


Red matipo is a species native to the North, South and Stewart Islands of New Zealand, though its representative abundance is higher in Northern New Zealand Along with four other Myrsine species native to the North, South and Stewart Islands, there are four further Myrsine species native only to outlying islands separate from the New Zealand mainland; the Chatham Islands, the Three Kings Islands, and the Kermadec Islands. Outside of New Zealand, there are a further 300 Myrsine species found throughout the world.


Red matipo is found naturally throughout the North, South and Stewart Islands. It would have once been common throughout all of lowland New Zealand, which was largely composed of podocarp/broadleaf species, however with clearance for purposes such as timber milling and agriculture, the amount remaining is vastly smaller than what it was. The species is now, however, commonly found within revegetation and riparian planting areas throughout the country, and has been taken up by gardeners that are fond of its aesthetic appeal and its useful properties as a hedge plant. Pine plantations in New Zealand take up a vast area of land, often on steep, erosion prone surfaces, and red matipo is one of a number of New Zealand native plants that commonly persists beneath the canopy of pine trees.


Red matipo is found from sea level to 900m in elevation, preferring forest margins, scrub land and coastal forest, and more rarely, as a part of the understory within mature inland forest. found red matipo to be an early coloniser when previous land uses such as agriculture are abandoned and natural regeneration occurs (provided there is an available seed source), and as a result, it is known as a hardy species that is commonly used in planted revegetation sites to provide initial cover for the establishment of longer lived, less durable plants. Due to red matipo’s wide ecological and geographical distribution, it lives alongside a varying composition of plants, ranging from species such as pohutukawa, ngaio and titoki on the coast, manuka and kanuka in scrub land, podocarps in mature forest, and also in amongst lower altitude beech forests. This species is therefore common, and is not considered to be threatened or at any risk of extinction.


On average, Myrsine australis tends to flower between August and January, and produces fruit between September and December. Its flowers are clustered on small stalks on the branchlets where older leaves have already been lost. They are small and inconspicuous (like most other New Zealand native flowers), measuring from 1.5mm to 2.5mm in diameter, and are a cream to whitish colour, covered in small orange glands. The flowers are unisexual, therefore some individuals produce only male flowers for pollen distribution, and other individuals produce only female flowers for fertilization and fruit growth. The petals of the flowers are lanceolate, obtuse, free and revolute. Due to the occurrence of flowering and fruiting periods overlapping, some specimens can display both fruit and flowers at the same time. Red matipo’s fruits are drupes; a single seed is encased in a hard core, which is then covered in a fleshy outer layer. The fruits measure 2-4mm in diameter, are coloured dark brown to black, and are commonly dispersed by kereru, tui, silvereye, bellbird, and blackbird, who eat the fruit, and dispose of the seed once digested. The plant has the ability to retain a ‘Seed Bank’, with some seeds remaining dormant for a year or more and germinating at random intervals and amounts. Seeds typically require a chilling period to enable germination to occur, and it is also suspected that after seed fall, embryos may still be developing. Therefore, germination can take nearly four to five times as long in comparison to other New Zealand natives such as Hoheria angustifolia and Coprosma foetidissima which typically germinate far more rapidly. These time periods are rough averages as each specimen of Myrsine australis has its own natural variety and irregular pattern.


With the introduction of wild grazing mammals such as deer and goats to New Zealands native forests, there has been a widespread loss in the abundance and diversity of its understory flora, red matipo just one example of a large array of species. Much like red matipo’s other attributes, it is considered a persistent species in comparison to other native plants when under the pressure of grazing mammals. Through research carried out by, when domesticated sheep and cattle were released into forest fragments with a high understorey flora species composition, red matipo was one of the plant species least effected, whether it be by grazing or trampling of the animals. Similar results were found by, where the effects of wild grazing mammals were analysed. The Australian common brushtail possum, an invasive selective browser, also has a tendency to avoid red matipo foliage, and that in a study of fruit seeds and flowers of the brushtail possum diet in New Zealand, seeds of red matipo were only found occasionally in possum faeces. Avian fauna consume the fruit of red matipo, particularly native birds such as the New Zealand bellbird and tui (bird), but also introduced species such as the common blackbird. These birds provide a vital role for red matipo by dispersing its seed in the process.


Myscelia ethusa, the Mexican bluewing or blue wing, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. The species was first described by Louis Michel François Doyère in 1840. It is found from Colombia north through Central America to Mexico. Strays can be found up to the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas in the United States.
The wingspan is 64–76 mm (2.5–3.0 in). Many generations occur per year.
The larvae feed on the Dalechampia species. Adults feed on rotting fruit.


Listed alphabetically:
M. e. chiapensis  Jenkins, 1984 (Mexico)
M. e. cyanecula C. Felder & R. Felder, 1867 (Mexico)
M. e. ethusa (Mexico)
M. e. pattenia  Butler & H. Druce, 1872 (Guatemala and Costa Rica)


Nabalus albus, the white rattlesnake-root, also known as Boott's rattlesnake-root or white lettuce, is a plant in the family Asteraceae, native to Canada and the Eastern United States. Details of the flower heads are needed to separate this species from others in the rattlesnake-root genus (Nabalus). The Iroquois applied a poultice of the roots of white rattlesnake root to rattlesnake bites. It can be found growing in forests, woodlands, and anthropogenic habitats. The flower head has ray flowers only, meaning all of the individual flowers of the flower head have a strap-shaped ray, which may or may not have teeth at the very tip of the ray. The colors vary from blue to purple, pink to red, or white. The leaf blade length can be between 40 and 300 mm. while the flower head width can be 3 to 5 mm. Blooms from July to September in Missouri. In 2010 it was reclassified from the genus Prenanthes to Nabalus.


Nannodiplax rubra, commonly called the pygmy percher, is a species of dragonfly in the monotypic genus Nannodiplax.
Its distribution seems to be limited to Australia and New Guinea. They are tiny dragonflies (wingspan 40 mm, length 25 mm) with a bright red abdomen and clear wings. They are found near a wide variety of rivers and streams. The Australian distribution ranges from Broome, Western Australia via the north and east to around Coffs Harbour, New South Wales. The taxon has not yet been assessed for the IUCN Red List, but it is listed in the Catalogue of Life.


Nannothemis, the Elfin Skimmer, is a genus in the dragonfly family Libellulidae containing one species, N. bella.
It is native to the eastern United States and Canada, and is the smallest dragonfly in North America. Males are powdery blue, while females are black and yellow, resembling a wasp.


Narcissus poeticus, the poet's daffodil, poet's narcissus, nargis, pheasant's eye, findern flower or pinkster lily, was one of the first daffodils to be cultivated, and is frequently identified as the narcissus of ancient times (although Narcissus tazetta and Narcissus jonquilla have also been considered as possibilities). It is also often associated with the Greek legend of Narcissus. It is the type species of the genus Narcissus and is widely naturalized in North America.


The flower is extremely fragrant, with a ring of tepals in pure white and a short corona of light yellow with a distinct reddish edge. It grows to 20 to 40 cm (7.9 to 15.7 in) tall.


Narcissus poeticus was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his book Species Plantarum on page 289 in 1753.


Narcissus poeticus is native to central and southern Europe from Spain, France through Switzerland, Austria to Croatia, Greece and Ukraine. It is naturalized in Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic, Azerbaijan, Turkey, New Zealand, British Columbia, Washington state, Oregon, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland, and much of the eastern United States, from Louisiana and Georgia north to Maine and Wisconsin.


The earliest mention of poet's daffodil is likely in the Historia Plantarum (VI.6.9), the main botanical writing of Theophrastus (371 – c. 287 BCE), who wrote about a spring-blooming narcissus that the Loeb Classical Library editors identify as Narcissus poeticus. According to Theophrastus, the narcissus (νάρκισσος), also called leirion (λείριον), has a leafless stem, with the flower at the top. The plant blooms very late, after the setting of Arcturus about the equinox. The poet Virgil, in his fifth Eclogue, also wrote about a narcissus whose description corresponds with that of Narcissus poeticus. In one version of the myth about the Greek hero Narcissus, he was punished by the Goddess of vengeance, Nemesis, who turned him into a Narcissus flower that historians associate with Narcissus poeticus. The fragrant Narcissus poeticus has also been recognized as the flower that Persephone and her companions were gathering when Hades abducted her into the Underworld, according to Hellmut Baumann in The Greek Plant World in Myth, Art, and Literature. This myth accounts for the custom, which has lasted into modern times, of decorating graves with these flowers. Linnaeus, who gave the flower its name, quite possibly did so because he believed it was the one that inspired the tale of Narcissus, handed down by poets since ancient times.


In medicine, it was described by Dioscorides in his Materia Medica as "Being laid on with Loliacean meal, & honey it draws out splinters". James Sutherland also mentioned it in his Hortus Medicus Edinburgensis. In Korea, it is used to treat conjunctivitus, urethritis and amenorrhoea.


Poet's daffodil is cultivated in the Netherlands and southern France for its essential oil, narcissus oil, one of the most popular fragrances used in perfumes. Narcissus oil is used as a principal ingredient in 11% of modern quality perfumes—including 'Fatale' and 'Samsara'—as a floral concrete or absolute. The oil's fragrance resembles a combination of jasmine and hyacinth.


Narcissus poeticus has long been cultivated in Europe. According to one legend, it was brought back to England from the crusades by Sir Geoffrey de Fynderne. It was still abundant in 1860 when historian Bernard Burke visited the village of Findern—where it still grows in certain gardens and has become an emblem of the village. It was introduced to America by the late 18th century, when Bernard McMahon of Philadelphia offered it among his narcissus. It may be the "sweet white narcissus" that Peter Collinson sent John Bartram in Philadelphia, only to be told that it was already common in Pennsylvania, having spread from its introduction by early settlers. The plant has naturalized throughout the eastern half of the United States and Canada, along with some western states and provinces.
Narcissus poeticus has long been hybridized with the wild British daffodil Narcissus pseudonarcissus, producing many named hybrids. These older heritage hybrids tend to be more elegant and graceful than modern hybrid daffodils, and are becoming available in the UK once again. One such cultivar is the popular 'Actaea', which has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
N. poeticus var. recurvus, the old pheasant's eye daffodil, has also won the AGM.


Narcissus tazetta (paperwhite, bunch-flowered narcissus, bunch-flowered daffodil, Chinese sacred lily, cream narcissus, joss flower, polyanthus narcissus) is a perennial ornamental plant that grows from a bulb. Cultivars of N. tazetta include 'Paperwhite', 'Grand Soleil d'Or' and 'Ziva', which are popularly used for forcing indoors, as is the form of N. tazetta known as Chinese Sacred Lily.


Narcissus tazetta is amongst the tallest of the narcissi, and can grow to a height of up to 80 centimetres (31 in), with thin, flat leaves up to 40 centimetres (16 in) long and  15 millimetres (0.59 in) wide. Umbels have as many as 8 flowers, white with a yellow corona.


Six subspecies are accepted by the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families:
N. tazetta subsp. aureus (Jord. & Fourr.) Baker syn. N. bertolonii – south-east France, Sardinia, north-west Italy, Algeria, Morocco
N. tazetta subsp. canariensis (Burb.) Baker – Canary Islands
N. tazetta subsp. chinensis (M.Roem.) Masam. & Yanagih. – south-east China, Japan, South Korea
N. tazetta subsp. corcyrensis (Herb.) Baker – Corfu (Greece)
N. tazetta subsp. italicus (Ker Gawl.) Baker syn. N. italicus – Mediterranean from southern France to Greece
N. tazetta subsp. tazetta – widely distributed from the western Mediterranean to Afghanistan


Narcissus tazetta contains a fragrant compound found in only a few other plants, including roses and Acnistus arborescens, called orcinol dimethyl ether, which is almost undetectable to the human nose. Experiments with honeybees have shown they can readily detect it.


Narcissus tazetta is a widespread species, native to the Mediterranean region from Portugal to Turkey. It is also naturalized across the Middle East, Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bhutan, as well as the Canary Islands, China (Fujian, Zhejiang), Japan,  Australia, Korea, Norfolk Island, New Zealand, Bermuda, Mexico and the United States (Oregon, California, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia) and South America.


Narcissus tazetta is grown commercially for its essential oil, mostly in southern France. An interspecies hybrid, with Narcissus poeticus, is also grown for its essential oil.


Rivka Dulberger (September 1964). "Flower Dimorphism and Self-Incompatibility in Narcissus tazetta L." Evolution. 18 (3): 361–363. doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1964.tb01613.x. JSTOR 2406347. S2CID 88184240.
ARROYO, JUAN; DAFNI, AMOTS (January 1995). "Variations in habitat, season, flower traits and pollinators in dimorphic Narcissus tazetta L. (Amaryllidaceae) in Israel". New Phytologist. 129 (1): 135–145. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.1995.tb03017.x. PMID 33874423.
Krelage, JH (17 April 1890). "On Polyanthus Narcissi". Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society. 12 (Daffodil Conference and Exhibition): 339–346. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
Ooi, Linda (Mar 2010). "Narcissus tazetta lectin shows strong inhibitory effects against respiratory syncytial virus, influenza A (H1N1, H3N2, H5N1) and B viruses". Journal of Biosciences (Bangalore. 35 (1): 95–103. doi:10.1007/s12038-010-0012-8. PMC 7091448. PMID 20413914. Retrieved 30 April 2015.


Narthecium ossifragum, commonly known as bog asphodel, Lancashire asphodel or bastard asphodel, is a species of  flowering plant in the family Nartheciaceae. It is native to Western Europe, found on wet, boggy moorlands up to about 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in elevation. It produces spikes of bright yellow flowers in summer. The bright orange fruits have been used as a colourant to replace saffron by Shetland Islanders. Despite the plant's English name "bog asphodel", it is not particularly closely related to the true asphodels. In addition to other forms of pollination, this plant is adapted to rain-pollination. The Latin specific name ossifragum means "bone-breaker", and refers to a traditional belief that eating the plant caused sheep to develop brittle bones. The probable origin of this story is that sheep eating a calcium-poor diet are likely to develop bone weakness, and N. ossifragum favours acidic low-calcium soils.


Bog asphodel is a tufted, hairless herbaceous perennial with a creeping rhizome. The leaves are up to 6 in (15 cm) long, narrow, flattened and sword-shaped, and often tinged with orange. The inflorescence is a spike with bright yellow, star-like flowers about 0.7 in (18 mm) across, which have short white hairs on the orange stamens. The fruits are deep orange.


The plant can cause photosensitisation, a serious skin condition of sheep called alveld, "elf fire", in Norway. It can be relieved by moving stock into the shade. Not all stands of the plant are toxic, and the toxicity may be the side effect of the plant's response to a fungal infection.


Bog asphodel has a circumboreal temperate oceanic distribution. In the British Isles it occurs in Scotland, Northwest England, Wales, Southwest England and most of Ireland. It grows in wet soils and peats, in bogs, wet heaths and flushes. It can be found in purple moor grass and rush pastures.


Nassella leucotricha is a species of grass known by the common names Texas wintergrass, Texas needlegrass, and Texas tussockgrass. It is native to the south-central United States (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi) and much of Mexico (from Tamaulipas and Baja California south to Chiapas).


Nassella leucotricha is a perennial bunchgrass with stems up to 1.2 metres (3.9 ft) tall. There are two types of flowers, opening flowers and cleistogamous (non-opening) flowers that self-pollinate and are sometimes tucked away in the leaf sheaths.
The fruit has a sharp tip and a twisted awn up to 9 centimeters (3.6 inches) long. This fruit can damage the mouths of livestock and can get caught in wool and eyes.
The grass provides a good forage for animals when it is green, but the animals should be removed from the area as the seeds develop on the plants and replaced when the seeds fall to the ground.
This grass is known as a weed outside its native region. In Australia it is an invasive species that is injurious to livestock.


Nassella pulchra, basionym Stipa pulchra, is a species of grass known by the common names purple needlegrass and purple tussockgrass. It is native to the U.S. state of California, where it occurs throughout the coastal hills, valleys, and mountain ranges, as well as the Sacramento Valley and parts of the Sierra Nevada foothills, and Baja California.
It grows in many types of local habitat, including grassland, chaparral, and oak woodland. It grows well on clay and serpentine soils.


Nassella pulchra is a perennial bunch grass producing tufts of erect, unbranched stems up to 1 metre (3.3 ft) tall. The extensive root system can reach 20 feet (6.1 m) deep into the soil, making the grass more tolerant of drought.
The open, nodding inflorescence is up to 60 centimeters long and has many branches bearing spikelets.
The plant produces copious seed, up to 227 pounds per acre in dense stands. The pointed fruit is purple-tinged when young and has an awn up to 10 centimeters long which is twisted and bent twice. The shape of the seed helps it self-bury.


This grass is the preferred material used by the California Indian basket weavers for teaching the art of basket weaving.


Purple needlegrass became the California state grass in 2004. It is considered a symbol of the state because it is viewed by some as one of the most widespread native California grasses, it supported Native American groups as well as Mexican ranchers, and it helps suppress invasive plant species and support native oaks.


In addition to supporting native oaks, it supports common branded skipper and Uncas skipper caterpillars.


Watercress or yellowcress (Nasturtium officinale) is a species of aquatic flowering plant in the cabbage family Brassicaceae.
Watercress is a  rapidly growing, perennial plant native to Europe and Asia. It is one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by humans. Watercress and many of its relatives, such as garden cress, mustard, radish, and wasabi, are noteworthy for their piquant flavors.
The hollow stems of watercress float in water. The leaf structure is pinnately compound. Small, white, and green inflorescences are produced in clusters and are frequently visited by insects, especially hoverflies, such as Eristalis flies.


Watercress is listed in some sources as belonging to the genus Rorippa, although molecular evidence shows those aquatic species with hollow stems are more closely related to Cardamine than Rorippa. Despite the Latin name, watercress is not particularly closely related to the flowers popularly known as nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus). T. majus belongs to the family Tropaeolaceae, a sister taxon to the Brassicaceae within the order Brassicales.


In some regions, watercress is regarded as a weed, in other regions as an aquatic vegetable or herb. Watercress has been grown in many locations around the world.
In the United Kingdom, watercress was first commercially cultivated in 1808 by the horticulturist William Bradbery, along the River Ebbsfleet in Kent. Watercress is now grown in a number of counties of the United Kingdom, most notably Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, and Hertfordshire. The town of Alresford, near Winchester, is considered to be the nation's watercress capital. It holds a Watercress Festival that brings in more than 15,000 visitors every year and a preserved steam railway line has been named after the local crop.


Watercress leaves, stems, and fruit can be eaten raw.


Ancient Romans thought eating it would cure mental illness. Twelfth-century mystic Hildegard of Bingen thought eating it steamed and drinking the water would cure jaundice or fever. Watercress was eaten by Native Americans. Some Native Americans used it to treat kidney illnesses and constipation, and it was thought by some to be an aphrodisiac. Early African Americans used the plant as an abortifacient; it was believed to cause sterility as well.


The new tips of watercress leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, although caution should be used when collecting these in the wild because of parasites such as giardia. Watercress is 95% water and has low contents of carbohydrates, protein, fat, and dietary fiber. A 100-gram serving of raw watercress provides 11 calories, is particularly rich in vitamin K (238% of the Daily Value, DV), and contains significant amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, vitamin B6, calcium, and manganese (table).


As a cruciferous vegetable, watercress contains isothiocyanates that are partly destroyed by boiling, while the content of carotenoids is slightly increased. Steaming or microwave cooking retains these phytochemicals.


Cultivation of watercress is practical on both a large-scale and a garden-scale. Being semi-aquatic, watercress is well-suited to hydroponic cultivation, thriving best in water that is slightly alkaline. It is frequently produced around the headwaters of chalk streams. In many local markets, the demand for hydroponically grown watercress exceeds supply, partly because cress leaves are unsuitable for distribution in dried form, and can only be stored fresh for about 2-3 days.
Also sold as sprouts, the edible shoots are harvested days after germination. If unharvested, watercress can grow to a height of 50 to 120 centimetres (1 ft 8 in to 3 ft 11 in).


Watercress crops grown in the presence of manure can be an environment for parasites such as the liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica. By inhibiting the cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP2E1, compounds in watercress may alter drug metabolism in individuals on certain medications such as chlorzoxazone.
Due to its fast-growing nature and invasive species status, Nasturtium officinale is prohibited in Illinois.


Navarretia squarrosa (skunkbush, skunkweed, or California stinkweed) is a spreading annual plant from North America which is noted for its skunk-like odour. It grows to between 10 and 60 cm in height and has tubular lilac pink to deep blue flowers up to 12 mm in diameter in dense terminal heads, encircled by spiny sepals and bracts. The leaves are pinnately lobed and spiny.


The species is native to British Columbia, Washington, Oregon,  and California, and is naturalised elsewhere, including Australia and New Zealand.
It is commonly found at elevations of less than 800 metres on open, wet, gravelly flats and slopes.
Specific plant associations where N. squarrosa occurs include the specialized Monterey Cypress forests near Carmel, California.


Nelumbo lutea is a species of flowering plant in the family Nelumbonaceae.  Common names include American lotus, yellow lotus, water-chinquapin, and volée.  It is native to North America.  The botanical name Nelumbo lutea Willd. is the currently recognized name for this species, which has been classified under the former names Nelumbium luteum and Nelumbo pentapetala, among others.


American lotus is an emergent aquatic plant.  It grows in lakes and swamps, as well as areas subject to flooding.  The roots are anchored in the mud, but the leaves and flowers emerge above the water's surface.  The petioles of the leaves may extend as much as 2 m (6.6 ft) and end in a round leaf blade 33–43 cm (13–17 in) in diameter. Mature plants range in height from 0.8 to 1.5 m (2.6 to 4.9 ft).
Flowering begins in late spring and may continue into the summer.  The specific name means "yellow" in Latin and refers to the flowers, which may be white to pale yellow. The flowers measure 18–28 cm (7.1–11.0 in) in diameter and have 22-25 petals.
It is the larval host plant of the American lotus borer, Ostrinia penitalis.
However, Nelumbo lutea populations are declining in the U.S. due to habitat destruction, and it has been listed as threatened or endangered in New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, and extirpated in Delaware. Their populations have a low level of genetic diversity, showing variation among different populations rather than within populations.


The native distribution of the species is Minnesota to Oklahoma, Florida, Mexico, Honduras, and the Caribbean.
It was apparently distributed northwards in the United States by Native Americans who carried the plant with them as a food source.


This plant has a large tuberous rhizome that is used as a food source. This may be the plant called "macoupin" in Miami-Illinois. The seed is also edible and is known as "alligator corn". The seedlike fruits can be shaken loose, and are also edible. The unopened leaves and young stalks can be cooked.
The species is widely planted in ponds for its foliage and flowers. American Lotus spreads via creeping rhizomes and seeds. This species has been crossed with N. nucifera to create many hybrids. Seeds may be propagated by scarifying the pointed tip of the seed with a file then soaking in water.  Propagation is also possible by division of established plants.


Disney's character Princess Tiana wears as her iconic princess dress, a gown fashioned from a yellow Nelumbo lutea.


Nelumbo nucifera is also known as Egyptian bean.


The roots of lotus are planted in the soil of the pond or river bottom, while the leaves float on the water's surface or are held well above it. The flowers are usually found on thick stems rising several centimeters above the leaves. The leaf stalks (petioles) can be up to 200 cm (6 ft 7 in) long, allowing the plant to grow in water to that depth, The peltate leaf blade or lamina can have a horizontal spread of 1 m (3 ft 3 in). The leaves may be as large as 80 cm (31 in) in diameter, while the showy flowers can be up to 30 cm (12 in) in diameter, but fourteen inches (35 centimeters) has been frequently reported. Some cultivated varieties have extraordinary numbers of petals. For example, the Chinese variety Qian Ban Lian ("Thousand Petals Lotus") can have between 3000 and 4000 petals in a single blossom  and the Japanese variety Ohmi Myoren ("strange lotus"), can have between 2000 and 5000 petals, the greatest number recorded for any species of plant.
Researchers report that the lotus has the remarkable ability to regulate the temperature of its flowers to within a narrow range just as humans and other warmblooded animals do. Roger S. Seymour and Paul Schultze-Motel, physiologists at the University of Adelaide in Australia, found that lotus flowers blooming in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens maintained a temperature of 30–35 °C (86–95 °F), even when the air temperature dropped to 10 °C (50 °F). They suspect the flowers may be doing this to attract coldblooded insect pollinators. Studies published in the journals Nature and Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences were in 1996 and 1998 important contributions in the field of thermoregulation, heat-producing, in plants. Two other species known to be able to regulate their temperature include Symplocarpus foetidus and Philodendron selloum.
Lotus seeds can remain viable after long periods of dormancy. In 1994, a seed from a sacred lotus, dated at roughly 1,300 years old ± 270 years, was successfully germinated.
The traditional sacred lotus is only distantly related to Nymphaea caerulea, but possesses similar chemistry.  Both Nymphaea caerulea and Nelumbo nucifera contain the alkaloids nuciferine and aporphine.
The genome of the sacred lotus was sequenced in May 2013.


The sacred lotus grows in water up to 2.5 m (8 ft) deep. The minimum water depth is about 30 cm (12 in). In colder climates, such a low water level, which heats up more quickly, is helpful for better growth and flowering. Lotus germinates at temperatures above 13 °C (55 °F). Most varieties are not cold-hardy. In the growing season from April to September (northern hemisphere), the average daytime temperature needed is 23 to 27 °C (73 to 81 °F). In regions with low light levels in winter, the sacred lotus has a period of dormancy. The tubers are not cold resistant, but can resist temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F) if they are covered with an insulating cover of water or soil. During winter time, the roots have to be stored at a frost free place.


The sacred lotus requires a nutrient-rich loamy soil. In the beginning of the summer period (from March until May in the northern hemisphere), a small part of rhizome with at least one eye is either planted in ponds or directly into a flooded field. There are several other propagation ways via seeds or buds. Furthermore, tissue culture is a promising propagation method for the future to produce high volumes of uniform, true-to-type, disease free materials.
First step of the cultivation is to plough the dry field. One round of manure is applied after ten days, before flooding the field. To support a quick initial growth, the water level is held relatively low and is increased when plants grow. Then a maximum of approximately 4,000 per hectare (1,600/acre) with grid spacing of 1.2 by 2 metres (3 ft 11 in × 6 ft 7 in) are used to plant directly into the mud 10–15 cm (3+7⁄8–5+7⁄8 in) below the soil surface.


Rhizome lotus cultivars produce a higher yield of and higher quality rhizomes than seed or flower lotus cultivars. Furthermore, this group grows the tallest and produces very few to no flowers.
Cultivars can be classified by harvest time or by the depth of rhizomes into these types:
Pre-mature (early) cultivars are harvested before the end of July, serotinous (late) cultivars from September on, and mid-serotinous or mid-matutinal cultivars are in between these harvest times. Using pre-mature cultivars, rhizomes can be harvested earlier and therefore be sold for a higher price.
Adlittoral, deep, and intermediate cultivars are distinguished according to the depth in which the rhizomes grow underground. Adlittoral cultivars range from 10 to 20 cm (3.9 to 7.9 in) depth and are often pre-mature. They develop faster due to higher temperatures in surface soil layers. When harvested in July, adlittorals have higher yields than deeper growing cultivars, but not necessarily when harvested in September. Rhizomes of adlittoral cultivars are crisp and good for frying purposes. Deep cultivars grow more than 40 cm (16 in) deep. They are often serotinous and can harvest high yields. Their rhizomes are starch-rich.
The main popular Nelumbo nucifera cultivars in China are Elian 1, Elian 4, Elian 5, 9217, Xin 1, and 00–01. The average yield of these cultivars is 7.5–15 t/ha (3.3-6.7 tons/acre) of harvest in July and 30–45 t/ha (13-20 tons/acre) of harvest in September. In Australia, the cultivar grown for the fresh rhizome market in Guangdong and Japan, the common rhizome cultivars are Tenno and Bitchu.


Flower lotus cultivars are used exclusively for ornamental purpose, produce a large number of flowers and the lowest plant height.
Typically, the seed production of flower lotus is poor regarding yield and quality. Flower types differ in the number of petals (single petals, double petals, or multi-petals) and their colours range from single colour in white, yellow, pink, red to bi-colour, most often of white petals with pink tip or highlights.
The flowers are capable of producing an ink which has been used by artists such as Morrison Polkinghorne to produce abstract images of the landscapes of southern Asia.
One example of flower lotus is Wanlian. Also known as bowl lotus, wanlians are any miniature cultivars of N. nucifera sized between 5 to 8 centimetres (2.0 to 3.1 in). Bowl lotuses come in various sorts of colours and numbers of petals, and they bloom longer than other species of lotus. But together with the rhizome, their seeds are often too small or too hard to be eatable.
The sacred lotus may be crossed with the yellow lotus to produce interspecific hybrids. A few varieties have been produced with differing appearances.


Nelumbo nucifera shows high potential for usage in wastewater treatment removing polluting compounds and heavy metals. It is able to grow in variable water conditions and in low light intensity. Various studies show the successful use of N. nucifera to counteract water eutrophication. The leaves of the floating lotus reduce sunlight reaching the lower part of the water.  This suppresses algae growth in N. nucifera aquatic systems and thus, the oxygen content is up to 20% higher than in other aquatic plant systems. Due to intense agricultural practices, nitrogen and phosphorus pollution are major problems in aquatic systems. N. nucifera is able to assimilate a higher content of phosphorus than aquatic plants currently used for water remediation (such as water hyacinth). It also assimilates nitrogen ("denitrification") and creates a habitat for bacterial growth in the water body. Through rhizofiltration, heavy metals – including arsenic, copper and cadmium – can be removed efficiently from the water. The results observed are impressive showing 96% of copper and 85% cadmium metals removed after a seven-day incubation period. The accumulation of heavy metals doesn't show morphological symptoms of metal toxicity; however, the rhizome quality for human consumption needs further study.


Nelumbo nucifera contains some thermal-stable proteins that might be useful in protein bio engineering processes. The proteins are characterized by seed longevity used for cell protection and repair under stress.  There are also several indications that compounds of N. nucifera are used in drug fabrication in human health research for multiple purposes.


All parts of Nelumbo nucifera are edible, with the rhizome and seeds being the main consumption parts. Traditionally rhizomes, leaves, and seeds have been used as folk medicines, Ayurveda, Chinese traditional medicine, and oriental medicine. While leaves are used for hematemesis, epistaxis, and hematuria, the flowers are used for lowering blood sugar levels, diarrhea, cholera, fever, and hyperdipsia. Rhizomes are promoted have purported diuretic, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory properties. In Chinese medicine, seeds are still used as Lian Zi Xin (蓮子心).
Lotus rhizomes and seeds and their processing by-products are widely consumed in Asia, Americas, and Oceania for high content of physiologically active substances. Especially in China, lotus seeds are popular with a cultural history going back about 3000 years. As early as the Han Dynasty, lotus seeds were already recorded as sweet, astringent, nourishing the heart and kidney in "Shen Nong's Herbal Classic". Nowadays there are 22 varieties for the four known Chinese lines, which are found particularly in Jianning (still called "the town of Jianlian lotus seeds in China") and Guangchang ("the town of white lotus seeds in China").
These days the perennial aquatic herb is gaining popularity because of its nutraceutical and historical importance It will be of economic value if the different parts of lotus can be developed as functional food. Because of the special role in human health and richness in nutrients and bioactive substances, the Chinese Ministry of Health approved the use of N. nucifera as both "food and medicine".


Lotus seeds are mostly oval or spherical, with sizes varying according to varieties. They are generally 1.2–1.8 cm long, with diameter ranging from 0.8 to 1.4 cm and a weight of 1.1–1.4 g. After lotus seeds have been decorticated and peeled, they are edible and rich in nutrients, and can be dried for storage. Their nutritional values can differ due to culture environments and varieties.
Not only do these seeds contain proteins of high quality and are rich in variety of essential amino acids including high contents of albumin (42%) and globulin (27%), they also contain unsaturated fatty acids, carbohydrates, vitamins, calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus and other trace elements. They also provide water-soluble polysaccharides, alkaloids, flavonoids, superoxide dismutase and other bioactive components.
Lotus seed also contain particularly large amounts of vitamins, including VB1, VB2, VB6 and Vitamin E.
The functional components (polyphenols, protein, polysaccharides) in N. nucifera seeds can help combatting high blood pressure, diabetes and gallstones. Lotus seed's water-soluble polysaccharides have also been shown to promote lymphocyte transformation and enhance the immune function.
After lotus seed germination, crude protein and fat levels in the endosperm significantly increase. It is therefore an important method to enhance its nutritional quality.


Nelumbo nucifera is the species of lotus that has historical cultural and spiritual significance. It is a sacred flower in both Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the path to spiritual awakening and enlightenment. In Christianity the lotus flower is often associated with the apostle Thomas and his coming to India. It was also an important symbol in ancient Egypt, where it represented the path from death to rebirth to the afterlife.
In Asian art a lotus throne is a stylized lotus flower used as the seat or base for a figure. It is the normal pedestal for divine figures in Buddhist art and Hindu art, and often seen in Jain art.  Originating in Indian art, it followed Indian religions to East Asia in particular. Lotus flowers are also often held by figures.


Nematocampa resistaria, the filament bearer,  bordered thorn or horned spanworm moth, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Gottlieb August Wilhelm Herrich-Schäffer in 1856. It is found in North America from British Columbia to Nova Scotia, south to Florida and California.
This species was split from the Eurasian Nematocampa limbata.
The wingspan is 19–25 mm. Adults are on wing from May (or April in the deep south) to August. There is one generation in the north, two generations in the middle states and multiple generations in the southern part of the range.
Larvae feed on various deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs, including Pseudotsuga, Tsuga, Abies, Picea, Salix, Betula papyrifera, Corylus, Fragaria and carrot (Daucus).


Nemophila heterophylla is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name small baby blue eyes.
It is native to Oregon and California north of the Transverse Ranges. It grows in many types of habitat, from valley chaparral to mountain talus.


Nemophila heterophylla is an annual herb with a fleshy but delicate and usually hairy stem. The lower leaves are oppositely arranged and divided into several wide lobes. Upper leaves are smaller, narrower, and alternately arranged.
Flowers are solitary, each on a short pedicel. The flower has a calyx of sepals each a few millimeters long, pointed, and covered with long hairs, and there are reflexed appendages between the sepals. The bowl-shaped flower corolla is white or blue and a few millimeters to over a centimeter wide.
The fruit is a capsule which develops within the calyx of sepals and contains a few yellowish seeds.


Nemophila menziesii, known commonly as baby blue eyes or baby's-blue-eyes, is an annual herb, native to western North America.


The plant is native to California, Baja California, and Oregon.
It grows virtually throughout California at elevations from sea level up to almost 6,500 feet (2,000 m). It grows in many types of habitats, including chaparral, valley grasslands, and montane locales.


Nemophila menziesii is variable in appearance. Lower leaves are stalked, lobed and oppositely arranged, 10–50 millimetres (0.4–2.0 in) with five to thirteen lobes, each entire or with one to three teeth. Upper leaves are more or less sessile and less lobed than lower. The stalk of the inflorescence is 20–60 millimetres (0.8–2.4 in). Calyx lobes are 4–8 millimetres (0.2–0.3 in). The flower is blue with a white center or all white, usually with blue veins and black dots near the center. It is 6–40 millimetres (0.2–1.6 in) wide. The tube is less than or equal to the filaments.


The species includes three varieties:
Nemophila menziesii var. atomaria has white flowers with black dots, often with a faint blue tint or blue veins in the corolla. It is found on coastal bluffs or grassy slopes in Oregon, Northwestern California, the Central Coast of California, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Nemophila menziesii var. integrifolia has blue flowers, with black dots at the center and deep blue veins.  It is found in grasslands, canyons, woodlands, and slopes in the Central Coast, southern Coast Ranges, southwestern California, east of the Sierra Nevada range, and into the Mojave Desert and Baja California
Nemophila menziesii var. menziesii has bright blue flowers with white centers that are generally dotted with black.  It is found virtually throughout California, in meadows, grasslands, chaparral, woodlands, slopes, and desert washes, but it does not occur above 5200 feet (1600 meters).


It is also cultivated as an ornamental plant, as annual wildflower in native plant, water conserving, traditional, and wildlife gardens.
It can occasionally be found outside its native range as an introduced species, such as in Alaska.


Nemophila parviflora, the smallflower nemophila, small-flowered nemophila or oak-leaved nemophila, is a dicot in the borage family, Boraginaceae, in the waterleaf subfamily, Hydrophylloideae.
The plant is native to the low to moderate elevation forests and chaparral and oak woodlands of western North America, from California to British Columbia and Utah.


Nemophila parviflora is an annual herb that grows in the spring.
The flowers  are bowl-shaped, white to lavender, solitary from leaf axils. The corolla is up to 4.5 millimeters wide. The leaves are 10–35 mm long and 8–25 mm wide. They have 2 pairs of lateral lobes and the lobes are entire.
The fruit is a capsule with a single seed.


The longhorn moth or yellow-barred long-horn (Nemophora degeerella) is a diurnal lepidopteran from the moths family Adelidae (fairy longhorn moths).


The wingspan of Nemophora degeerella ranges from 18–20 millimetres (0.71–0.79 in) in males, from 15–18 millimetres (0.59–0.71 in) in females. The head is dark brown, with dark and yellow hair-like scales. The thorax has a bronzy golden shining. Forewings are shiny bronzy golden yellow or shiny ochreous with longitudinal dark brown and lead-gray blueish-violet shining streaks. A yellow transversal band cross the whole forewings, framed by two lead-gray blueish-violet shining stripes with a dark brown border. The three longitudinal lead-gray, blueish-violet shining stripes situated in the basal part of the wings do not treach the transversal fascia. Rear wings are brownish gray.
The longhorn moth males have filiform antennae ranging up to five times their body length, while the female has much shorter antennae. Moreover in the females the basal part of the antennae is thickened by black scales, while the tip is white.
Nemophora degeerella is very similar to Nemophora congruella but N. congruella is slightly smaller, the forewing markings are bright yellow and the band is located closer to the base. In the females of N. congruella is missing the beard-like scales present in the basal part of the antennae of the females of N. degeerella. Also Adela croesella is very similar, but it is much smaller and more colorful. The gray blueish-violet stripes are at least as wide as the yellow central band.


These moths fly in the day. The flight period ranges from May to July. The caterpillar feeds on birch leaf litter. The adult moth feeds on Persicaria bistorta, Leucanthemum vulgare and nettles. This species has a single annual generation (univoltine). Hibernation takes place in the form larvae in a cocoon of leaves.


Nemoria bistriaria, the red-fringed emerald or two-striped emerald,  is a species of moth of the  family Geometridae. It is found from New Brunswick to Florida, west to Texas, north to Ontario.
The wingspan is about 22 mm. Adults are on wing from March to October in the south and from May to August in the north. There are at least two generations per year.
The species occurs in a seasonal brown form where the green colour of the wings is entirely replaced by a light coffee colour.
The larvae of ssp. siccifolia feed on white oak, while larvae of the nominate subspecies have been recorded on eastern black walnut, black birch and oak.


Neoconocephalus triops, the broad-tipped conehead, is a species of Conocephalus fuscus in the family Tettigoniidae. It is found in the Caribbean and North America.


Neophasia menapia, the pine white, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is found in the western United States and in southern British Columbia, Canada.
It is mostly white with black veins and wing bars. The species is similar to Neophasia terlooii but their ranges only overlap in New Mexico.
The wingspan is 42–50 millimetres (1.7–2.0 in). Its habitats include pine forests and Douglas fir forests in northern coastal California.
The host plants are Pinus species, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Tsuga heterophylla, Abies balsamea, Abies grandis, and Picea sitchensis. Adults feed on flower nectar from rabbitbrush, other yellow-flowered composites, and monarda.
Neophasia menapia are a univoltine species that lay their eggs on live pine needles, as stated by a scientific research paper ("Phylogeography and the population genertics of pine butterflies") that details the differences between Neophasia.


Neotibicen lyricen, the lyric cicada, is a species of cicada in the family Cicadidae.


These three subspecies belong to the species Neotibicen lyricen:
Neotibicen lyricen engelhardti (Davis & W.T., 1910) ᵍ ᵇ (dark lyric cicada)
Neotibicen lyricen lyricen ᵍ ᵇ (lyric cicada)
Neotibicen lyricen virescens (Davis, 1935) ᵇ (coastal lyric cicada)
Data sources: i = ITIS, c = Catalogue of Life, g = GBIF, b = Bugguide.net


Scissor Grinders, like all other cicadas, consume a plant fluid known as xylem. They use their proboscis, a type of insect mouthpart similar to a straw to pierce trees and drink xylem.


The Scissor Grinder is similar in appearance to many other species in its genus, it is mostly green with many complex markings on its body. Its abdomen is entirely black.

A rare pale variant of the Scissor Grinder occurs in southeastern Kansas and eastern Oklahoma. This variant is far lighter in coloring than its common variant.


Neotibicen superbus, the superb dog-day cicada, is a species of cicada in the family Cicadidae. It is the greenest cicada in the neotibicen genus. It has reduced black patterning and looks different than most other cicadas in its genus. Its song is a soft buzz that reaches a crescendo.


Neotibicen tibicen, known generally as the swamp cicada or morning cicada, is a species of cicada in the family Cicadidae. It is widespread across much of the eastern and central United States and portions of southeastern Canada.  There are two subspecies, N. tibicen tibicen and N. tibicen australis, with the latter replacing subspecies tibicen in portions of Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.


N. tibicen is active particularly in the morning; hence its common name, the morning cicada. It is strictly ectothermic, and only becomes active in the morning after basking in the sun to raise its body temperature. The species' name was Tibicen chloromerus, but in 2008 it was changed to Tibicen tibicen because the cicada was determined to have been described first under this specific epithet. The species was moved to the genus Neotibicen in 2015. N. tibicen is the most frequently encountered Neotibicen because it often perches on low vegetation. Likewise, it is arguably the most common Neotibicen in North America.


Neottia cordata, the lesser twayblade or heartleaf twayblade, is an orchid of upland bogs and mires that rarely exceeds 15 cm (5.9 in) in height. It was formerly placed in the genus Listera, but molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that Neottia nidus-avis, the bird's-nest orchid, evolved within the same group.
It is never very common but may be frequently overlooked because of its small size and a tendency to grow underneath heather on sphagnum moss. The single erect flower-stem is often tinged red and is clasped near the base by a pair or ovate-orbicular glossy green leaves. The small flowers which look deceptively simple in structure for an orchid, are purple-green in colour with a somewhat swollen calyx.


It has a circumpolar distribution being found in Europe, Asia and large parts of North America. In the United Kingdom its distribution is largely western and northern, becoming most common in the western Highlands of Scotland, Snowdonia in Wales, and the Lake District in England. (Codes)


The flowers produce nectar and are pollinated principally by fungus gnats in the groups Mycetophilidae and Sciaridae.
Mycorrhizal partners are almost exclusively fungi in the Sebacinales clade Serendipitaceae. There may also be some association with Ceratobasidiaceae and/or Tulasnellaceae.


Neottia ovata (formerly Listera ovata), the common twayblade or eggleaf twayblade, is a terrestrial orchid widespread across much of Europe and Asia


The flowering stems are typically 20–60 cm (7.9–23.6 in) tall, occasionally up to 75 cm (30 in). There are two large opposite basal leaves, 5–20 cm (2.0–7.9 in) long. A variable number of flowers is borne on the stems, usually more than 15 but less than 100. The flowers are small and yellowish-green in colour. The sepals and the two side petals form a fairly open hood, 5–6 mm (0.2 in) long; the labellum or lip (the central petal) is 7–15 mm (0.3–0.6 in) long and is divided at the end into two lobes. Due to its slender profile, small flowers and green colour this species can be hard to spot.


Found across much of Europe including the British Isles, as well as Siberia, Central Asia, Southwest Asia and the Himalayas. It has been introduced into Ontario, Canada, where it has been called the eggleaf twayblade.
Neottia ovata grows in a variety of habitats: woods, meadows, dune-slacks and moorland.


The flower of Neottia ovata is well accessible for a wide range of insects. It is above all pollinated by parasitic wasps, sawflies and beetles. The pollinia lie free on top of the gutter-shaped rostellum, an organ that is filled with viscid fluid. When an insect touches the sensitive tip of the rostellum, the viscid fluid is ejected and glues the pollinia to the visitor's body.
Fruit set is quite high.
Over 60 species of mycorrhizal fungi have been indicated to form associations with N. ovata.
Neottia ovata is one of the most common European orchid species, and this is partially explained by it being less species-selective both in terms of pollinators and mycorrhizal partners. It is also an inconspicuous species, blending in to vegetation, which saves it from being picked by humans, a fate endangering many of the showier orchid species. Despite its relative success, there is evidence that populations are declining.


Neottia is Ancient Greek for bird's nest, and comes from the appearance of the roots in Neottia nidus-avis. The species epithet ovata comes from the Latin ovatus, meaning ovate or egg-shaped, and describing the leaves of the plant. Twayblade is an old English word meaning two-leaf. The common name in Germany (Zweiblatt) is very similar and has the same meaning.
Common twayblade was formerly placed in the genus Listera, but molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that Neottia nidus-avis, the bird's-nest orchid, evolved within the same group, and the two genera have been combined.


Neoxabea bipunctata, the two-spotted tree cricket, is a species of tree cricket in the family Gryllidae. It is found in North America.


Nepeta cataria, commonly known as catnip, catswort, catwort, and catmint, is a species of the genus Nepeta in the family Lamiaceae, native to southern and eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of China. It is widely naturalized in northern Europe, New Zealand, and North America. The common name catmint can also refer to the genus as a whole.
The names catnip and catmint are derived from the intense attraction about two-thirds of cats have toward it (alternative plants exist). In addition to its uses with cats, catnip is an ingredient in some herbal teas (or tisanes), and is valued for its sedative and relaxant properties.


Nepeta cataria is a short-lived perennial, herbaceous plant that grows to be 50–100 cm (20–40 in) tall and wide, and that blooms from late spring to autumn. In appearance, N. cataria resembles a typical member of the mint family of plants, featuring brown-green foliage with the characteristic square stem of the plant family Lamiaceae. The coarse-toothed leaves are triangular to elliptical in shape. The small, bilabiate flowers of N. cataria are fragrant and are either pink in colour or white with fine spots of pale purple.


Nepeta cataria was one of the many species described by Linnaeus in 1753 in his landmark work Species Plantarum. He had previously described it in 1738 as Nepeta floribus interrupte spicatis pedunculatis (meaning "Nepeta with flowers in a stalked, interrupted spike"), before the commencement of Linnaean taxonomy.


The plant terpenoid nepetalactone is the main chemical constituent of the essential oil of Nepeta cataria. Nepetalactone can be extracted from catnip by steam distillation.


Nepeta cataria is cultivated as an ornamental plant for use in gardens. It is also grown for its attractant qualities to house cats and butterflies.
The plant is drought-tolerant and deer-resistant. It can be a repellent for certain insects, including aphids and squash bugs. Catnip is best grown in full sunlight and grows as a loosely branching, low perennial.
Varieties include Nepeta cataria var. citriodora (or N. cataria subsp. citriodora), or "lemon catnip", named after its lemon-scented leaves.


The iridoid that is deposited on cats who have rubbed themselves against the plants and scratched the surfaces of catnip and silver vine (Actinidia polygama) leaves, repels mosquitoes. The compound iridodial, an iridoid extracted from catnip oil, has been found to attract lacewings that eat aphids and mites.


Nepetalactone is a mosquito and fly repellent. Oil isolated from catnip by steam distillation is a repellent against insects, in particular mosquitoes, cockroaches, and termites. Research suggests that, while a more effective spatial repellant than DEET, when compared with SS220 or DEET, it is not so effective as a repellent as it is when used on the skin of humans.


Catnip has a history of use in traditional medicine for a variety of ailments such as stomach cramps, indigestion, fevers, hives, and nervous conditions. The plant has been consumed as a tisane, juice, tincture, infusion, or poultice, and has also been smoked. However, its medicinal use has fallen out of favor with the development of modern medicine.


Catnip contains the feline attractant nepetalactone. N. cataria (and some other species within the genus Nepeta) are known for their behavioral effects on the cat family, not only on domestic cats, but also other species. Several tests showed that leopards, cougars, servals, and lynxes often reacted strongly to catnip in a manner similar to domestic cats. Lions and tigers may react strongly as well, but they do not react consistently in the same fashion.
With domestic cats, N. cataria is used as a recreational substance for the enjoyment of pet cats, and catnip and catnip-laced products designed for use with domesticated cats are available to consumers. Common behaviors cats display when they sense the bruised leaves or stems of catnip are rubbing on the plant, rolling on the ground, pawing at it, licking it, and chewing it. Consuming much of the plant is followed by drooling, sleepiness, anxiety, leaping about, and purring. Some growl, meow, scratch, or bite at the hand holding it. The main response period after exposure is generally between 5 and 15 minutes, after which olfactory fatigue usually sets in; however, about one-third of cats are not affected by catnip. The behavior is hereditary.
Cats detect nepetalactone through their olfactory epithelium, not through their vomeronasal organ. At the olfactory epithelium, the nepetalactone binds to one or more olfactory receptors.
A 1962 pedigree analysis of 26 cats in a Siamese breeding colony suggested that the catnip response was caused by a Mendelian-dominant gene. A 2011 pedigree analysis of 210 cats in two breeding colonies (taking into account measurement error by repeated testing) showed no evidence for Mendelian patterns of inheritance but demonstrated heritabilities of h² = 0.51–0.89 for catnip response behavior, indicating a polygenic liability threshold model.
A study published in January 2021 suggests that felines are specifically attracted to the iridoids nepetalactone and nepetalactol, present in catnip and silver vine, respectively. The compounds were found to repel mosquitos, and it is hypothesized that rubbing against the plants provides the cats with a chemical coat that protects them against mosquito bites.


Other plants that have a catnip-like effect on cats include valerian (Valeriana officinalis) root and leaves; silver vine (Actinidia polygama), or matatabi, popular in Asia; and Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica) wood. Many of the one-third of cats that do not respond to catnip do respond to one or more of these three alternatives.


Nephrolepis cordifolia is an evergreen fern that grows to between 40 and 80 centimeters, in extreme cases up to 1 meter. It forms an underground rhizome in the form of several small tubers. The pinnate fronds are erect and pinnate linear to lanceolate, glandular and simple. The rachis bears bicolored chaff scales. The petiole is covered with bicolored pale and dark brown scales.
The leaflets are entire, sessile and elongate-lanceolate. They grow up to 4.8 centimeters long and up to 0.9 cm wide. They stand at a distance of less than 1 centimeter. The sori are rounded. The spores are warty, wrinkled.


The species is native in north-eastern Australia and on the slopes of the Himalayas, and is considered naturalised on the central east coast of New South Wales. They can grow both terrestrially and as an epiphyte. However, the species grows very rarely as an epiphyte. It grows mainly in moist, shady groves, rock faces, roadsides, on old walls or ruins. It loves moist, shady locations and is commonly found in swamps and floodplains in coniferous forests.
It has been introduced into Bermuda, French Polynesia, New Zealand, and the United States. It is also widely distributed by humans and is currently found in tropical regions of North, Central and South America (mainly in Mexico, the Caribbean and Florida), in Africa, Southeast Asia, the islands of the Pacific and on the Azores. In the Hawaiian Islands it is known as kupukupu, okupukupu or ni'ani'au


Nephrolepis cordifolia has become an invasive species is some areas where it has been introduced. In New Zealand it is listed on the National Pest Plant Accord, which prohibits the sale, cultivation and distribution of the plant. It is listed as an invasive species in Florida, United States.


Nephrophyllidium is a monotypic genus of aquatic flowering plants in the family Menyanthaceae. The sole species is Nephrophyllidium crista-galli. They are wetland plants with basal reniform and crenate leaves. Flowers are five-parted and white, and the petals are adorned with lateral wings and a midline keel. Nephrophyllidium is most nearly related to Menyanthes, which is very similar in habit. The genus name is derived from the kidney-shaped leaves (Greek: nephros = kidney and phyllon = leaf), and the specific epithet refers to the curled petal edges (Latin: crista galli = cockscomb).
Nephrophyllidium crista-galli is found in the Pacific Northwest of America, and in Japan, where it can be called subspecies japonicum (Franch.) Yonek. & H.Ohashi. Nephrophyllidium is commonly known as deer cabbage.
The IAPT determined that a prior synonym for the genus, Fauria Franch., too closely resembled the genus Faurea (Proteaceae), and thus conserved Nephrophyllidium as the accepted genus name.


Neptunia lutea, commonly called the yellow-puff, is an herbaceous plant in the legume family (Fabaceae). It is native to the United States, where it is primarily found in the South Central region, extending eastward into the Blackland Prairies of Alabama and Mississippi. Its natural habitat is in open areas such as prairies and savannas. It is tolerant of disturbed soil.


Neptunia lutea is a trailing, vine-like perennial. Its stems are covered with soft spines, but is not nearly as prickly as the similar-looking Mimosa nuttallii.
The sprawling stems of this plant branch frequently, with each branch growing as long as 5 ft. Leaves are alternate and stalked, bipinnate, looking much like tiny fern fronds. The flowers are tiny and arranged in a slightly elongated, congested bundle (inflorescence) containing 30-60 flowers each. The unopened bud clusters look much like green bramble fruits. Each individual flower has five minute petals and ten stamens. When the flowers open, the inflorescence looks like a puffy yellow ball, with usually only the long yellow stamens visible. The inflorescence rests solitary at the end of a slender stalk.
Like some Mimosa, the leaves of this plant exhibit rapid plant movement. They will close upon touch, as well as at night and during periods of cloudy weather.


Nerium oleander (/ˈnɪəriəm ... / NEER-ee-əm), most commonly known as oleander or nerium, is a shrub or small tree cultivated worldwide in temperate and subtropical areas as an ornamental and landscaping plant. It is the only species currently classified in the genus Nerium, belonging to subfamily Apocynoideae of the dogbane family Apocynaceae. It is so widely cultivated that no precise region of origin has been identified, though it is usually associated with the Mediterranean Basin.
Nerium grows to 2–6 metres (7–20 feet) tall. It is most commonly grown in its natural shrub form, but can be trained into a small tree with a single trunk. It is tolerant to both drought and inundation, but not to prolonged frost. White, pink or red five-lobed flowers grow in clusters year-round, peaking during the summer. The fruit is a long narrow pair of follicles, which splits open at maturity to release numerous downy seeds.
Nerium contains several toxic compounds, and it has historically been considered a poisonous plant. However, its bitterness renders it unpalatable to humans and most animals, so poisoning cases are rare and the general risk for human mortality is low. Ingestion of larger amounts may cause nausea, vomiting, excess salivation, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea and irregular heart rhythm. Prolonged contact with sap may cause skin irritation, eye inflammation and dermatitis.


Oleander grows to 2–6 metres (7–20 feet) tall, with erect stems that splay outward as they mature; first-year stems have a glaucous bloom, while mature stems have a grayish bark. The leaves are in pairs or whorls of three, thick and leathery, dark-green, narrow lanceolate, 5–21 centimetres (2–8 inches) long and 1–3.5 cm (3⁄8–1+3⁄8 in) broad, and with an entire margin filled with minute reticulate venation web typical of eudicots. The leaves are light green and very glossy when young, maturing to a dull dark green.
The flowers grow in clusters at the end of each branch; they are white, pink to red, 2.5–5 cm (1–2 in) diameter, with a deeply 5-lobed fringed corolla round the central corolla tube. They are often, but not always, sweet-scented. The fruit is a long narrow pair of follicles 5–23 cm (2–9 in) long, which splits open at maturity to release numerous downy seeds.


Nerium oleander is the only species currently classified in the genus Nerium. It belongs to (and gives its name to) the small tribe Nerieae of subfamily Apocynoideae of the dogbane family Apocynaceae. The genera most closely-related thus include the equally ornamental (and equally toxic) Adenium G.Don and Strophanthus DC. - both of which contain (like Oleander) potent cardiac glycosides that have led to their use as arrow poisons in Africa. The three remaining genera Alafia Thouars, Farquharia Stapf and Isonema R.Br. are less well-known in cultivation.


The plant has been described under a wide variety of names that are today considered its synonyms:
Oleander Medik.
Nerion Tourn. ex St.-Lag.
Nerion oleandrum St.-Lag.
Nerium carneum Dum.Cours.
Nerium flavescens Spin
Nerium floridum Salisb.
Nerium grandiflorum Desf.
Nerium indicum Mill.
Nerium japonicum Gentil
Nerium kotschyi Boiss.
Nerium latifolium Mill.
Nerium lauriforme Lam.
Nerium luteum Nois. ex Steud.
Nerium madonii M.Vincent
Nerium mascatense A.DC.
Nerium odoratissimum Wender.
Nerium odoratum Lam.
Nerium odorum Aiton
Nerium splendens Paxton
Nerium thyrsiflorum Paxton
Nerium verecundum Salisb.
Oleander indica (Mill.) Medik.
Oleander vulgaris Medik.


The origins of the taxonomic name Nerium oleander, first assigned by Linnaeus in 1753, are disputed. The genus name Nerium is the Latinized form of the Ancient Greek name for the plant nẽrion (νήριον), which is in turn derived from the Greek for water, nẽros (νηρός), because of the natural habitat of the oleander along rivers and streams.
The word oleander appears as far back as the first century AD, when the Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides cited it as one of the terms used by the Romans for the plant. Merriam-Webster believes the word is a Medieval Latin corruption of Late Latin names for the plant: arodandrum or lorandrum, or more plausibly rhododendron (another Ancient Greek name for the plant), with the addition of olea because of the superficial resemblance to the olive tree (Olea europea) Another theory posited is that oleander is the Latinized form of a Greek compound noun: οllyo (ὀλλύω) 'I kill', and the Greek noun for man, aner, genitive andros (ἀνήρ, ἀνδρός). ascribed to oleander's toxicity to humans.
The etymological association of oleander with the bay laurel has continued into the modern day: in France the plant is known as "laurier rose", while the Spanish term, "Adelfa", is the descendant of the original Ancient Greek name for both the bay laurel and the oleander, daphne, which subsequently passed into Arabic usage and thence to Spain.
The ancient city of Volubilis in Morocco may have taken its name from the Berber name alili or oualilt for the flower.


Nerium oleander is either native or naturalized to a broad area spanning from Northwest Africa and Iberian peninsula eastward through the Mediterranean region, to the Arabian peninsula, southern Asia, and as far east as Yunnan in southern parts of China. It typically occurs around stream beds in river valleys, where it can alternatively tolerate long seasons of drought and inundation from winter rains. Nerium oleander is planted in many subtropical and tropical areas of the world.
On the East Coast of the US, it grows as far north as Virginia Beach, Virginia, while in California and Texas miles of oleander shrubs are planted on median strips. There are estimated to be 25 million oleanders planted along highways and roadsides throughout the State of California. Because of its durability, oleander was planted prolifically on Galveston Island in Texas after the disastrous Hurricane of 1900. They are so prolific that Galveston is known as the 'Oleander City'; an annual oleander festival is hosted every spring. Moody Gardens in Galveston hosts the propagation program for the International Oleander Society, which promotes the cultivation of oleanders. New varieties are hybridized and grown on the Moody Gardens grounds, encompassing every named variety.
Beyond the traditional Mediterranean and subtropical range of oleander, the plant can also be cultivated in mild oceanic climates with the appropriate precautions. It is grown without protection in southern England and can reach great sizes in London and to a lesser extent in Paris due to the urban heat island effect. This is also the case with North American cities in the Pacific Northwest like Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver. Plants may suffer damage or die back in such marginal climates during severe winter cold but will rebound from the roots.