Nymphaea odorata - Fragrant Water Lily

Family:	Nymphaeaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Width:	1
Synonyms:
Range:	N. America - Newfoundland to Kansas, Mexico and Cuba.

Nymphaea odorata (Fragrant Water Lily) is a Perennial and a width of 1m . It has a hardness rating of 5.
Fragrant Water Lily will flower in January to February. the seeds ripen from February to April
The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by Flies, self

Soil Information

Fragrant Water Lily 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
Fragrant Water Lily prefers soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Fragrant Water Lily should not be planted in shady areas.

Lakes, bog pools and slow rivers[187].

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 in still or slowly flowing water that is at least 30cm deep[55, 200, 238]. An over-rich soil, or growing the plant in water that is too deep, inhibits flowering[238]. Prefers a pH between 6 and 7[200]. There are two basic types of plant in this genus (this species is a crawler):- 'crawlers' are species with horizontal roots that often spread freely, with new plants being formed at intervals along the root. These species are useful for naturalising, but they do not flower very freely in the cool summers of Britain[214]. 'clumpers' have vertical roots, they form slowly spreading clumps and produce offsets around the crown. These forms flower much more freely in Britain[214]. A very ornamental plant[1], the sweetly fragrant flowers are 12cm in diameter[222]. The flowers open in the morning, when they are at their most fragrant, and close in the afternoon[245].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 4/5
Flower buds - cooked as a vegetable or pickled[55, 105, 177, 183]. Young flowers - raw[55]. Leaves - raw or cooked[207]. Used in soups and stews[55, 177, 183]. Root[105, 183]. Boiled or roasted[207]. Ripe seed - cooked or ground into a meal[207].

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

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 3/5
The root is alterative, anodyne, antiseptic, astringent and demulcent[4, 21, 165, 238]. A tea made from the roots is used in the treatment of TB, chronic bronchial complaints, diarrhoea, dysentery, gastrointestinal inflammation, gonorrhoea, vaginal discharge, inflamed glands, mouth sores and to stop bleeding[222, 238]. A poultice made from the roots is used in the treatment of swellings, boils, tumours, inflamed skin, vaginitis etc[222, 238]. The roots are harvested in the autumn once the plant has died down, and are dried for later use[238]. A complete cure of uterine cancer by a decoction and uterine injection has been recorded[4].

• Anodyne - Relieves pain, it is milder than an analgesic.
• Antiseptic - Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.
• Astringent - Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
• Cancer - Used in the treatment of cancer.
• Demulcent - Soothes, lubricates and softens irritated tissues, especially the mucous membranes.
• TB - Plants used in the treatment of tuberculosis

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].

Scented parts of the plants

Flowers : Fresh

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest.
Hitchcock. C. L.
Author: Hitchcock. C. L.
Rating:
Publisher : A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.
Date of Publication : 1955

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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