n.
Any of various cosmopolitan aquatic herbs of the genus Nymphaea, having floating leaves and showy, variously colored flowers, especially N. odorata, with fragrant many-petaled white or pinkish flowers. Also called pond lily.
water lily
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n.
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Santa Cruz water lily (Victoria cruziana) (credit: (Top) Gottlieb Hampfler, (bottom) Elliot Levine — Shostal/EB Inc.)
Santa Cruz water lily (Victoria cruziana) (credit: (Top) Gottlieb Hampfler, (bottom) Elliot Levine — Shostal/EB Inc.)
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water lily, common name for some members of the Nymphaeaceae, a family of freshwater perennial herbs found in most parts of the world and often characterized by large shield-shaped leaves and showy, fragrant blossoms of various colors. Among the plants of the family are the water lilies, lotuses, and pond lilies (called also cow lilies and spatterdocks) of the genera Nymphaea, Nelumbo, and Nuphar, respectively; however, the common names often overlap; e.g., “water lily” is used for most species of the family and even for other unrelated aquatic plants with similar flowers. Most species of Nymphaea in cultivation are tropical, but some of the hardy kinds are native to the United States and to the corresponding temperate areas of the Southern Hemisphere. Both day- and night-blooming species open at fairly definite hours. Included in the genus is the blue or white Egyptian lotus (Nymphaea caerulea or N. lotus, respectively), sacred from remote times and the national emblem of Egypt. The lotus flower is traditional in Egyptian art and architecture, as in the lotus capital. The genus Nelumbo contains two species: the American, or yellow, lotus, also called water chinquapin, is found in E North America; the Indian lotus, also called the sacred lotus or Egyptian bean, is sacred to Hinduism and to several other Asian religions, e.g., Buddhism. Its large pink blossom is used symbolically in religion and art. The seeds of the sacred lotus can remain viable after long periods of dormancy (see seed). Most species of Nuphar are native to North America. Many members of the water lily family have seeds or tubers that have been used for food; however, the fruit of the lotus-eaters of classical literature has been most often identified as that of the jujube of the buckthorn family or the nettle-tree of the elm family. Lotus is also the botanical name for a genus of the pea family. Water lilies are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Nymphaeales, family Nymphaeaceae.
| Wikipedia: Nymphaeaceae |
| Nymphaeaceae Fossil range: 130 Ma Early Cretaceous - Recent |
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 Water Lily with Flower
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Nymphaeaceae (pronounced /ˌnɪmfiːˈeɪsiːʔiː/) is a name for a family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called water lilies and live in freshwater areas in temperate and tropical climates around the world. The family contains 8 genera. There are about 70 species of water lilies around the world[1]. The genus Nymphaea contains about 35 species across the Northern Hemisphere[1]. The genus Victoria contains two species of giant water lilies and can be found in South America[1]. Water lilies are rooted in soil in bodies of water, with leaves and flowers floating on the water surface. The leaves are round, with a radial notch in Nymphaea and Nuphar, but fully circular in Victoria.
Water lilies are divided into two main categories: hardy and tropical. Hardy water lilies bloom only during the day, but tropical water lilies can bloom either during the day or at night, and are the only group to contain blue-flowered plants.
Water lilies can be fragrant, such as Nymphaea odorata.
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Classification
The genus Barclaya is sometimes given rank as its own family Barclayaceae on the basis of an extended perianth tube (combined sepals and petals) arising from the top of the ovary and by stamens that are joined basally. But recent work lends weight to placing it in the Nymphaeaceae.
In the past Nymphaeaceae often have been treated to include Cabombaceae but this is often treated as a separate family in the same order (Nymphaeales). The sacred lotus family Nelumbonaceae was once thought to be a water lily, but is now recognized to be a highly modified eudicot in the order Proteales. The order Nymphaeales is a lineage separate from monocots or eudicots.
The current phylogenetic placement is:
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As invasive species
The beautiful nature of water lilies has led to their widespread use as ornamental plants. The Mexican water lily, native to the gulf coast of North America, is planted throughout the continent. It has escaped from cultivation and become invasive in some areas, such as California's San Joaquin Valley. It can infest slow moving bodies of water and is difficult to eradicate. Populations can be controlled by cutting top growth. Herbicides can also be used to control populations using glyphosate and fluridone [2].
Symbolism
The white water lily is the national flower of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and State flower for Andhra Pradesh, India. It is also the birth flower for July.
In visual arts
Water lilies were depicted by the French artist Claude Monet in a series of paintings.
Gallery
 Nymphaea alba at Domburg, Netherlands. |
 A bee pollinating a water lily. |
 A painting of water lilies by Claude Monet. |
 Water lily at Hodges Gardens, Park and Wilderness Area, Louisiana, United States. |
 A woman standing on the large lilypad of a victoria water lily. A piece of wood has been placed atop the leaf to distribute her weight. |
 Tropical water lily in Malaysia. |
 Water lily from India |
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 Water lilies at the Schönbrunn in Vienna, Austria. |
 Nymphaea alba taken at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, Florida, United States. |
 Nymphaea alba at Missouri Botanical Garden,Missouri, United States. |
See also
- Nelumbo
- Pond
- Pamplemousses Botanical Garden, famous for its giant water lilies
References
- The genera of the Nymphaeaceae and Ceratophyllaceae in the southeastern United States. J. Arnold Arbor. 40: 94-112.
- Perry D. Slocum: Waterlilies and Lotuses. Timber Press 2005, ISBN 0881926841 (restricted online version at Google Books)
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Nymphaeaceae |
- NCBI Taxonomy Browser
- Phylogenetic analysis of the order Nymphaeales based on the nucleotide sequences of the chloroplast
- Flora of North America
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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