Nymphaea tuberosa - Tuberous Water Lily

Family:	Nymphaeaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Synonyms:
Range:	North-eastern N. America.

Nymphaea tuberosa (Tuberous Water Lily) is a Perennial. It has a hardness rating of 3.
Tuberous Water Lily will flower in January to March. 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

Tuberous 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
Tuberous Water Lily prefers soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Tuberous Water Lily should not be planted in shady areas.

Pond margins and slow streams[43].

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 moving water[56, 200]. Succeeds in water from 30 - 120cm deep[200]. 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]. The flowers have a fruity perfume like that of ripe apples[245]. The variety rosea is more strongly fragrant[245].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 4/5
Seed - cooked[159, 177]. The seed can be ground into a powder and used as a flour or fried and used like popcorn[183]. The root is rich in starch, oil and protein[183]. The bitter tasting tuber is occasionally eaten[105, 159, 177, 183]. The bitterness can be reduced somewhat by leaching the root in water.

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

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 3/5
The following notes are the medicinal uses of N. odorata. It is said that this species can be used interchangeably[238]. 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].

• Alterative - Causes a gradual beneficial change in the body, usually through improved nutrition and elimination, without having any marked specific action.
• 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.
• Demulcent - Soothes, lubricates and softens irritated tissues, especially the mucous membranes.

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

Gray's Manual of Botany.
Fernald. M. L.
Author: Fernald. M. L.
Rating:
Publisher : A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
Date of Publication : 1950

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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