''Nymphaea nouchali'', often known by its

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

''Nymphaea stellata'', or by

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

s blue lotus, star lotus, red water lily, dwarf aquarium lily, blue water lily, blue star water lily or manel flower, is a

water lily Water lily or water lilies may refer to: Plants * Members of family Nymphaeaceae * Formerly, members of the genus ''Nelumbo'' (the genus to which lotus belongs) * Some members of the genus ''Nymphoides'' Other uses * ''Water Lilies'' (Monet ...

of genus ''

Nymphaea ''Nymphaea'' () is a genus of hardy and tender aquatic plants in the family Nymphaeaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Many species are cultivated as ornamental plants, and many cultivars have been bred. Some taxa occur as introduc ...

''. It is native to southern and eastern parts of Asia, and is the

national flower In a number of countries, plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas. Some countries have a country-wide floral emblem; others in addition have symbols representing subdivisions. Different processes have been used to ...

of Bangladesh and

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. In Sanskrit it is called ''utpala''. This species is usually considered to include the blue Egyptian lotus ''N. nouchali'' var. ''caerulea''. In the past, taxonomic confusion has occurred, with the name ''Nymphaea nouchali'' incorrectly applied to '' Nymphaea pubescens''.

Description

''N. nouchali'' is a day-blooming non-viviparous plant with submerged roots and stems. Part of the leaves are submerged, while others rise slightly above the surface. The leaves are round and green on top; they usually have a darker underside. The floating leaves have undulating edges that give them a crenellated appearance. Their size is about 20–23 cm (8" to 9") and their spread is up to 1.5 metres (5') from the rhizome. This water lily has a beautiful flower which is usually white or blue in color. Its variants occur in white, blue,violet,purple,pink & cream/yellowish white colours.The flower has four or five sepals and 13-15

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s that have an angular appearance, making the flower look star-shaped from above. The cup-like

calyx Calyx or calyce (plural "calyces"), from the Latin ''calix'' which itself comes from the Ancient Greek ''κάλυξ'' (''kálux'') meaning "husk" or "pod", may refer to: Biology * Calyx (anatomy), collective name for several cup-like structures ...

has a diameter of 4–15 cm (2" to 6"). The leaves of the lily can be affected by a water-born fungi, ''Doassansiopsis nymphaea''.

Distribution and habitat

This aquatic plant is native in a broad region from Afghanistan, the Indian subcontinent, to Taiwan, southeast Asia and Australia. It has been long valued as a garden flower in Thailand and

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

to decorate ponds and gardens. In its natural state, ''N. nouchali'' is found in static or slow-flowing aquatic habitats of low to moderate depth.

Taxonomy

Publication

It was first described by Nicolaas Laurens Burman in

1768 Events January–March * January 9 – Philip Astley stages the first modern circus, with acrobats on galloping horses, in London. * February 11 – Samuel Adams's circular letter is issued by the Massachusetts House of Rep ...

Synonyms

Natural hybridisation

Together with ''

Nymphaea micrantha ''Nymphaea micrantha'' is a water lily belonging to the genus ''Nymphaea ''Nymphaea'' () is a genus of hardy and tender aquatic plants in the family Nymphaeaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Many species are cultivated as ornam ...

'', ''Nymphaea nouchali'' var. ''caerulea'' forms the natural hybrid ''Nymphaea'' × ''daubenyana'' native to Chad.

Cytology

The chromosome count is n = 38 or n = 42. The genome size is 1193.16 Mb.

Symbolism

''N. nouchali'' is the national flower of Bangladesh.Constitution Of The People's Republic Of Bangladesh
A pale blue-flowered ''N. nouchali'' is the

, where it is known as ''nil mānel'' or ''nil mahanel'' (). In Sri Lanka, this plant usually grows in buffalo ponds and natural

wetlands A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

. Its beautiful aquatic flower has been mentioned in Sanskrit, Pali, and Sinhala literary works since ancient times under the names ''kuvalaya'', ''indhīwara'', ''niluppala'', ''nilothpala'', and ''nilupul'' as a symbol of virtue, discipline, and purity. Buddhist lore in Sri Lanka claims that this flower was one of the 108 auspicious signs found on Prince Siddhartha's footprint. It is said that when Buddha died, lotus flowers blossomed everywhere he had walked in his lifetime.

Claire Waight Keller Clare Waight Keller (born 19 August 1970) is a British Wardrobe stylist, stylist and fashion designer, who has served as the Artistic Director for a number of luxury fashion houses and brands, including Pringle of Scotland, Chloé, and Givenchy. ...

included the plant to represent Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in Meghan Markle's wedding veil, which included the distinctive flora of each

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

country. ''N. nouchali'' might have been one of the plants eaten by the

Lotophagi In Greek mythology, the lotus-eaters ( grc-gre, λωτοφάγοι, lōtophágoi) were a race of people living on an island dominated by the lotus tree, a plant whose botanical identity is uncertain. The lotus fruits and flowers were the primar ...

of Homer's '' Odyssey''.

Uses

''N. nouchali'' is used as an ornamental plant because of its spectacular flowers, and is most commonly used for the traditional and cultural festivals in Sri Lanka. It is also popular as an aquarium plant under the name "dwarf lily" or "dwarf red lily". Sometimes, it is grown for its flowers, while other aquarists prefer to trim the lily pads, and just have the underwater foliage. ''N. nouchali'' is considered a medicinal plant in Indian

Ayurvedic Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population rep ...

medicine under the name ''ambal''; it was mainly used to treat indigestion. Like all water lilies, its pear-shaped, brown cottony-covered, potato-sized

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

s, leaves and most of the plant are poisonous, and contain an alkaloid called

nupharin Nupharin may refer to: * Nupharine, a quinolizidine alkaloid found in ''Nuphar'' and ''Nymphaea'' speciesChapter 10 Nuphar Alkaloids. J.T. Wróbel, The Alkaloids: Chemistry and Physiology, 1967, Volume 9, Pages 441–465, * Nupharin A Nupharin A ...

. Unlike European species, this can (and must) be neutralised in the rhizomes of this species by boiling. In India these have been eaten as a famine food or as a medicinal. In Vietnam it was eaten roasted. In

it was formerly eaten as a type of medicine and its price was too high to serve as a normal meal, but in the 1940s some villagers began to cultivate the water lilies in the

paddy field A paddy field is a flooded field (agriculture), field of arable land used for growing Aquatic plant, semiaquatic crops, most notably rice and taro. It originates from the Neolithic rice-farming cultures of the Yangtze River basin in sout ...

s left uncultivated during the monsoon season (Yala season), and the price dropped. It is eaten boiled and in curries. The tubers of this species are completely edible, during the dry season they consist almost entirely of starch, and were eaten in West Africa, usually boiled or roasted. The dried plant is collected from ponds, tanks, and marshes during the dry season and used in India as animal forage.

Heraldry

Blason Antoine Dubois (1756-1837).svg, The emblem of

surgeon In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...

and obstetrician to

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...

Antoine Dubois Baron Antoine Dubois (19 June 1756 – 30 March 1837) was a French surgeon born in Gramat, department of Lot. As the consultant-surgeon, and head of maternity services to Napoleon and his wife the Empress Marie Louise of Austria, Dubois delivere ...

, (1756–1837). Cyril Newall Arms.svg, Personal coat of arms of

Cyril Newall, 1st Baron Newall Marshal of the Royal Air Force Cyril Louis Norton Newall, 1st Baron Newall, (15 February 1886 – 30 November 1963) was a senior officer of the British Army and Royal Air Force. He commanded units of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air F ...

(1946) National emblem of Bangladesh.svg, National Emblem of Bangladesh (1972–present)

References

External links

Neel kamal (blue waterlily) in Indian culture
''on Biodiversity of India portal''. * Taxon: ''Nymphaea stellata'' Willd. - Synonym of ''Nymphaea nouchali'' Burm. f. *Perry D. Slocum: ''Waterlilies and Lotuses''. Timber Press 2005,
restricted online version at Google Books

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2663639 Freshwater plants nouchali Plants described in 1768 Flora of Africa Flora of tropical Asia Flora of Australia National symbols of Bangladesh National symbols of Sri Lanka Taxa named by Nicolaas Laurens Burman