Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea

This is a blue water lily.

It lives in lakes and rivers. The plant can grow in mud.

Its leaves float on the water. The stems are thick and spongy.

The flowers can be blue or pink. They open in the morning. They close at night.

Long ago, kings loved these flowers. They are very pretty to see.

The blue water lily is a special plant.

It grows in fresh water like lakes and rivers. This plant can live in mud with very little food. It can even grow in deep water.

The plant has many parts. It has thick, spongy stems. These stems help the leaves float.

The leaves change shape depending on where they are. Some leaves stay under the water. Others float on top. The flowers are often blue or pink. They have many petals. They also have many small parts called stamens.

Flowers follow a daily set of steps. They rise to the surface over two or three days. They open in the mid-morning. Then, they close near dusk. They stay closed all night.

The plant also makes fruit. The fruit is shaped like a berry.

People have studied this plant for a long time. Ancient Egyptians used it in art. They saw it as a sign of the sun. Today, scientists study its chemicals. They found a chemical called nuciferine in the flowers.

The blue water lily is a special plant found in freshwater. It lives in lakes, pools, and rivers. This plant is very tough and can grow in mud with little food.

It can even become the main plant in deep water. Many people find it beautiful as an ornamental plant. It grows in many places around the world today.

This plant has many interesting parts that help it live. It has a tuberous rhizome, which is a small underground stem. The leaves are called peltate leaves and they float on the water.

These leaves change shape depending on if they are underwater or floating. The stems, called petioles, are thick, green, and spongy. They grow longer as the plant gets older. This pushes the leaves toward the edges of the plant.

Flowers follow a very strict daily schedule. The flower buds rise to the surface over two or three days. They open during the mid-morning and close near dusk.

The flowers stay closed all night. This movement is controlled by the sepals, which are the green outer parts of the flower. If you cut the sepals off, the flower cannot close. The flowers usually last for about four days.

People have a long history with this water lily. It was very important in ancient Egyptian art and mythology. It was a symbol for the sun and rebirth.

Some people think it was used in religious rituals. Scientists first described the plant in 1798. A man named Marie Jules César Savigny named it. Later, in 1989, Bernard Verdcourt classified it as a variety of Nymphaea nouchali.

The plant contains special chemicals called alkaloids. One important chemical is called nuciferine. This chemical can cause a feeling of euphoria.

Another chemical in the plant is called apomorphine. Modern research shows that some products sold online have less nuciferine than real flowers. Scientists at UC Berkeley used special tools to study these differences. This helps people know if they have the real plant.

The blue water lily, known scientifically as Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea, is a remarkable aquatic herb. It lives in freshwater environments like lakes, pools, and rivers. This plant is a perennial, meaning it lives for many years. It is quite hardy and can grow in nutrient-poor conditions. It can even thrive in anoxic mud, which is mud that lacks oxygen. In some habitats, such as Lake Nabugabo in Uganda, it becomes the dominant plant species.

The plant grows using a tuberous rhizome. This is an underground stem that forms small tubers. From these tubers, short vertical rhizomes can develop. The plant can spread to cover an area of about one metre. Its leaves, called peltate leaves, are very versatile. They are polymorphic, which means they change shape and texture based on whether they are floating or underwater. The leaf blades, or laminae, have a chartaceous texture. This means they feel somewhat like paper. The leaf margins can be smooth or irregularly lobed. The underside of the leaf shows prominent green or reddish veins.

The flowers of the blue water lily follow a very specific biological rhythm. The buds rise to the water surface over two to three days. Once ready, the flowers open during the mid-morning. They stay open during the day and close near dusk. This daily movement is controlled by the sepals, the green outer parts of the flower. If the sepals are removed, the flower loses its ability to close. Each flower typically lasts about four days. The flowers are often sky-blue or mauve with a pale yellow center. They contain between 14 and 20 petals and a large number of stamens.

To attract pollinators, the plant uses a clever method called deceit. It possesses structures known as osmophores. These are carpellary appendages that exude an odour mimicking food. They attract bees visually and through scent, but they do not actually provide a food reward. After pollination, the plant produces fruit in the form of berries. These berries are about 2.2 by 3.2 cm and are flattened-round. Inside the fruit are smooth, ellipsoid seeds that are 1.2 mm long. Each seed has a fleshy, bell-shaped covering called an aril.

Humans have interacted with this plant for thousands of years. In ancient Egyptian mythology and art, the lily symbolized the sun and rebirth. It has even been discovered in the tombs of pharaohs. Historically, it may have been used in religious rituals, such as Hathor's Festival of Drunkenness. In modern times, some people use the plant for recreational purposes through infusions or vaping. However, this can be dangerous. Use of the plant has been associated with toxicity, causing sedation and perceptual disturbances.

The plant's effects come from specific chemical compounds called aporphine alkaloids. Two main alkaloids are apomorphine and nuciferine. Apomorphine acts as a dopamine agonist and a serotonin modulator. It may explain why the plant was historically viewed as an aphrodisiac. Nuciferine is also present and is linked to euphoric effects. Recent research from UC Berkeley has been very important for safety. Scientists used mass spectrometry to show that many products sold online are not authentic. These products often contain much less nuciferine than real Nymphaea caerulea.

The scientific classification of this plant has changed over time. Marie Jules César Savigny first described it in 1798. In 1989, Bernard Verdcourt classified it as a variety of Nymphaea nouchali. However, recent phylogenetic studies, which look at evolutionary relationships, have challenged this. A 2012 study suggested it might be more closely related to Nymphaea gracilis from Mexico. Another 2021 study suggested it is closest to Nymphaea colorata from East Africa. Because of these findings, many scientists now argue it should be its own species, Nymphaea caerulea.

Today, the blue water lily is found in many parts of the world. It is native to much of Africa and parts of the Arabian Peninsula. It has been introduced to many other places as an ornamental plant. You can find it in India, Australia, Brazil, and even parts of the United States like Florida. In Australia, it is actually considered an environmental weed. In some areas, like near the Aswan Dam, the plant has become rare due to habitat loss. Despite these challenges, it remains a vital part of many freshwater ecosystems.