Back to main Search Page

Nuphar lutea - (L.)Sm.

Yellow Water Lily

Author	(L.)Sm.	Botanical references	17, 200
Family	Nymphaeaceae	Genus	Nuphar
Synonyms	Nymphaea lutea - L.
Known Hazards	There are a number of reports that the plant is edible but one report suggests that the plant is poisonous without giving further details[19].
Range	Europe, including Britain, to N. Asia.
Habitat	Deep, slow moving or still water to a depth of 3metres[19, 100].
Edibility Rating	3 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	2 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It can grow in water.

Habitats

Pond;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves; Root; Seed.

Edible Uses: Drink.

Root - cooked[2, 46, 61, 177, 183]. An edible starch can be extracted from the root[183]. A possible emergency food[61]. The root has a bitter flavour - this bitterness can be removed by leaching the root in water[K]. Leaves and leaf stalks - cooked[2, 177, 183]. Seed - cooked[105]. It can be ground into a powder and used in making bread and porridge, or for thickening soups etc[207]. The seed can also be parched, when it swells considerably but does not burst like popcorn[183]. It is then normally eaten dry[207]. A refreshing drink is made from the flowers[2, 183].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Anaphrodisiac; Anodyne; Antiscrophulatic; Antispasmodic; Astringent; Cardiotonic; Demulcent; Hypotensive; Sedative; Vasoconstrictor.

The roots are anaphrodisiac, anodyne, antiscrofulatic, astringent, cardiotonic, demulcent and sedative[4]. Caution should be exercised because large doses are potentially toxic[222]. A tea made from the roots is used in the treatment of 'sexual irritability', blood diseases, chills etc[4, 222]. The root is poulticed and applied to swellings, inflammations, cuts etc[4, 222]. The root contains steroids and is a folk remedy for infertility[222]. Alkaloids in the root are reportedly hypotensive, antispasmodic, cardiac, tonic and vasoconstrictor[222].

Other Uses

None known

Scented Plants

Flowers: Fresh

The flowers have a brandy-like scent[245]. This unique smell is due to a combination of acetic acid and ethyl alcohol to form ethylacetate[245].

Cultivation details

A water plant requiring a rich soil and a sunny position[1, 56]. Succeeds in light shade[200]. It is best grown in still water up to 250cm deep but it also tolerates slow moving water[200]. Prefers shallow water[1]. Plants are hardy to about -20°c[187]. The flowers have a sickly scent[188]. The flowers have a brandy-like scent[245]. This unique smell is due to a combination of acetic acid and ethyl alcohol to form ethylacetate[245].

Propagation

Seed - sow as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse in pots submerged under 25mm of water. Prick out into individual pots as soon as the first true leaf appears and grow them on in water in a greenhouse for at least two years before planting them out in late spring. The seed is collected by wrapping the developing seed head in a muslin bag to avoid the seed being lost. Harvest it 10 days after it sinks below the soil surface or as soon as it reappears[200]. Division in May. Each portion must have at least one eye. Submerge in pots in shallow water until established[56].

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: The Edible Pond and Bog Garden.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[19] Stary. F. Poisonous Plants. Hamlyn 1983 ISBN 0-600-35666-3
Not very comprehensive, but easy reading.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[56] Muhlberg. H. Complete Guide to Water Plants. E. P. Publishing Ltd. 1982 ISBN 0-7158-0789-7
Deals with a wide range of plants for temperate areas (and indoor aquaria) with quite a lot of information on cultivation techniques.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[100] Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969 ISBN 0192176218
An excellent and well illustrated pocket guide for those with very large pockets. Also gives some details on plant uses.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[207] Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6
A nice read, lots of information on plant uses.

[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Nuphar lutea

Robert Gergulics Sat Apr 11 2009

Photos Here. www.photorobg.com

www.photorobg.com

Add a comment/link:

Discussion Monitor

To have posts to this page mailed to you enter your email address here:

(Your email address will not appear on the webpage or be passed on to third parties).