Nuphar japonicum -

Family:	Nymphaeaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Synonyms:
Range:	E. Asia - Japan.

Nuphar japonicum () is a Perennial. It has a hardness rating of 6.
The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by Flies

Soil Information

Nuphar japonicum will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Nuphar japonicum prefers soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Nuphar japonicum can grow in semi or areas with no shade.

Ponds, lakes and shallow streams throughout Japan[58].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Is a pond plant

Cultivation Details

A water plant requiring a rich soil and a sunny position. It is best if grown in still water that is up to 75cm deep but it also tolerates slow moving water[200]. Succeeds in light shade[200].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 3/5
Root - cooked[105, 177]. Used as a famine food, when baked it tastes like sweet chestnuts[178]. The root probably needs to be steeped in water before use in order to remove a bitter flavour[K]. Seed[105, 177]. No more details are given but the seed is probably rich in starch and can be ground into a powder then used as a thickener in soups etc[K].

• Root - includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
• Seed - includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 1/5
Digestive, women's complaints[174, 178]. Used before and after childbirth, it treats gynecopathy(menoxenia)[174].

• Birthing aid - Used in facilitating birth, but not just to cause uterine contrctions.
• Digestive - Aids digestion.
• Women's complaints - A very vague title, it deals with a miscellany of problems peculiar to the female sex.

Propagation

Seed - sow as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse in pots submerged under 25mm of water. Prick out into individual pots as soon as the first true leaf appears and grow them on in water in a greenhouse for at least two years before planting them out in late spring. The seed is collected by wrapping the developing seed head in a muslin bag to avoid the seed being lost. Harvest it 10 days after it sinks below the soil surface or as soon as it reappears[200]. Division in May. Each portion must have at least one eye. Submerge in pots in shallow water until established[56].

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Flora of Japan. (English translation)
Ohwi. G.
Author: Ohwi. G.
Rating:
Publisher : The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.
Date of Publication : 1965

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

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