Xue bai shui lian
Nymphaea candida
Family: Nymphaeaceae
What it is like
A herb. It grows in water. The rhizomes or underground stems are erect or curve upwards. They are unbranched. The leaf blade is half round and 10-25 cm across. It is papery. It is smooth underneath. The base is deeply heart shaped and the lobes at the base are overlapping. The flower floats. It is 10-20 cm across. There are 20-25 petals which are white. The fruit are half round and 2.5-3 cm across. The seeds are narrowly oval and 2-4 mm long. They are smooth.
There are about 50 Nymphaea species.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It grows in ponds.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Central Asia, China, Estonia, Europe, Georgia, Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Siberia
How it is used for food
The rhizomes are added to food.
Edible parts
Root, rhizomes, seeds
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Vesiroos