Blue Water lily
Nymphaea violacea

Family: Nymphaeaceae

What it is like

A herb which grows in water. It keeps growing from year to year. It floats on the water with the rhizome rooted in the mud. The leaves are large and smooth. The are round with a deep split or lobe at the base. The blade is 10-30 cm long by 10-25 cm wide. It floats on the water surface. The leaf is dark green and has easy to see veins underneath. The edges of the leaf are sometimes slightly wavy. There is a long thick fleshy stalk. The flowers are large and white or blue or pink. They are many yellow stamens in the centre. The flowers are 5-15 cm across. They occur on long stalks either at water level or up to 15 cm above the water. The fruit are spongy berries. These have many seeds. They are green and about 2-3 cm across. They are carried under the water and break up when ripe.

There are about 50 Nymphaea species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. They grow naturally in fresh water swamps.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia (country/location of origin), Pacific, Papua New Guinea

How it is used for food

The rootstock, stalk and seed head are eaten raw or cooked. The seeds can also be made into flour.

Edible parts

Seeds, stems, corms, root, flowers

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed or by dividing the rhizome.

Its other names

Local names

Dhulumburrk, Karrtjata, Malaritinga, Purnarrika, Walang

Synonyms

Nymphaea brownii F.M. Bailey; Nymphaea casparyi Rehn. & Henk.ex Henk.; Nymphaea gigantea var. violacea (Lehm.)Conrad; Nymphaea holtzei Rehn. & Henk. ex Henk.; Nymphaea violacea var. coerulea Lehm.;