Nuphar

Scientific name

Nuphar Sm.

Common names

spatterdock, yellow waterlily, cow lily

Family

Nymphaeaceae

Similar genera

Barclaya, Nymphaea, Nymphoides

Native distribution

temperatetemperate:
(adj) of the climatic zone between boreal and tropical
Northern Hemisphere

Species cultivated

Nuphar japonica DC.

N. lutea (L.) Sm.

N. pumila (Timm) DC.

Adventive distribution

Nuphar advena (Aiton) W.T. Aiton, N. pumila, and N. lutea have been introduced into various European countries within Nuphar's overall native distribution. N. lutea is also introduced into New Zealand.

Weed status

a significant weed in some countries

Habit

attached rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
plant with submersedsubmersed:
see submerged
, floating, and emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
leaves

Brief description

Perennial. Stem a slender or stout rhizomerhizome:
(n) an underground stem, usually growing horizontally, from which both roots and shoots emerge directly; the thick, above-ground stem of ferns
, usually bearing old leaf scars. Leaves in a basalbasal:
(adj) at or pertaining to the base, or point of attachment
rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
arising from buried rhizomerhizome:
(n) an underground stem, usually growing horizontally, from which both roots and shoots emerge directly; the thick, above-ground stem of ferns
, submersedsubmersed:
see submerged
, floating, or emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
; petiolepetiole:
(n) the stalk of a leaf
smooth, greatly elongate; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
, deeply sagittatesagittate:
(adj) shaped like an arrowhead
to orbicularorbicular:
(adj) circular in outline
with deep sinussinus:
(n) the indentation or space between two lobes or divisions
, venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
palmatepalmate:
(adj) (of leaves or venation) with lobes, leaflets, divisions or veins originating from the same point
; marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
entire. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
a large, solitary flower borne above water surface on a long pedicelpedicel:
(n) the stalk of a single flower in an inflorescence, or of a grass spikelet
. Sepals 6, imbricateimbricate:
(adj) overlapping like shingles on a roof
, outer green, inner green or yellow; petals numerous, yellow, smaller than sepals, linear to oblongoblong:
(adj) two to four times longer than wide, with +/- parallel sides
, scalescale:
(n) any thin, usually small and dry, membranous to leathery bract
-like to stamenstamen:
(n) the male reproductive organ in a flower, consisting of a pollen-bearing anther and a filament
-like, bearing nectarynectary:
(n) a specialized gland producing nectar
on abaxialabaxial:
(adj) the side facing away from the axis, as in the underside of a leaf
surface; stamens numerous. Dispersal by seed or sometimes by daughter plants off rhizomerhizome:
(n) an underground stem, usually growing horizontally, from which both roots and shoots emerge directly; the thick, above-ground stem of ferns
.

Natural habitat

lakes, ponds, and streams

Additional comments

The taxonomy of Nuphar is poorly known; numerous subspecies are described, but the genus is poorly delimited. Its rhizomerhizome:
(n) an underground stem, usually growing horizontally, from which both roots and shoots emerge directly; the thick, above-ground stem of ferns
is edible and young leaves are used as tea.