Nymphaea alba, thewhite waterlily,European white water lily orwhite nenuphar/ˈnɛnjʊfɑːr/, is an aquatic flowering plant in the familyNymphaeaceae.[5][6][7] It is native to North Africa, temperate Asia, Europe and tropical Asia (Jammu and Kashmir).[8]
SinceNymphaceae alba is an aquatic plant, its specialized trichomes are hydropotes, formed at an abaxial surface of the young leaf and packed tightly in the rosette at the rhizome's flattened apex. The rhizomes contain high amounts of carbohydrate and protein.[9]
Nymphaea alba has a white flower that usually blooms during the daytime in most summer. The flower blooms on top of a big rounded green leaf up to 30 cm: both leaves float on the water's surface. At first, the flower bloom is cup-shaped, with a size of around 8 cm, then it rises to 20 cm and becomes star-shaped over time. The flower's petals are arranged in a row, pointing up surrounding several yellow stamens.[10][11] The leaves can be up to 30 cm (12 in) in diameter and take up a spread of 150 cm (59 in) per plant.[7]
The red variety (Nymphaea alba f.rosea) is cultivated from lakeFagertärn ("Fair tarn") in the forest ofTiveden, Sweden, where it was discovered in the early 19th century. The discovery led to large-scale exploitation which nearly made it extinct in the wild before it was protected.[15]
Nymphaea alba isnative all over Europe and in parts of North Africa and the Middle East in fresh water.[2][11] In Africa, it is found in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. In temperate Asia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Siberia, Iran, Iraq, Palestine and Turkey. It is found in tropical Asia, within the Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Lastly, within Europe, it is found in Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russian Federation, Ukraine, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, France, Portugal and Spain.[8] It has been introduced to the Azores, Bangladesh, Chile, parts of China, Myanmar, and New Zealand.[2]
Nymphaceae alba grows in ponds, ditches, lakes, or canals because these places have still and very slow-moving water. For example, lakes and ponds were created by gravel extraction as fishponds or for livestock, and lakes are just temporary features filled with sediment under and developing fen vegetation. Moreover, canals and ditches are more common than ponds since these are artificial water bodies created for transport or recreation; these places can support wildlife, such as attracting other species of insects or providing a shelter for frogs and early nectar insects.[16]
It contains the activealkaloidsnupharine andnymphaeine, and is a sedative and an aphrodisiac/anaphrodisiac depending on sources.[citation needed] Although roots and stalks are used in traditional herbal medicine along with the flower, the petals and other flower parts are the most potent. Alcohol can be used to extract the active alkaloids, and it also boosts the sedative effects. The root of the plant was used by monks and nuns for hundreds of years as ananaphrodisiac, being crushed and mixed with wine. In the earliest printed medical textbooks, authors maintained this use, though warning against consuming large and frequent doses.[17]
Nymphaea alba needs plenty of space since it grows up to 4 in tall and 3 to 5 ft wide. This plant performs best under full sun in loamy soil and undisturbed water. The basket covers the plant with a pea shingle placed under the water's surface around 6 to 10 inches, and the lower part of the plant can be twice the initial planting depth when the plant is formed. This plant can be fed during the growing season by proprietary aquatic fertilizer.[18]
Water Lilly is valuable and nutritious when people can use the peduncle and young leaf for vegetables, and rhizomes can be used as food supplements; moreover, local people can use different parts of the plant for various purposes, such as making herbal medicine to treat diarrhea, piles or cough, or using as a fragrance and ornamental properties. Therefore,Nymphaceae alba (water lily) is collected in the wild and displayed in the market.[19]
