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Common Name: Tuberous Water Lily

General Information

Nymphaea tuberosa is a Perennial
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Eastern N. America - Ontario and Quebec south to Kansas and Oklahoma.

Habitat

Mainly alkaline ponds, lakes and sluggish streams and rivers, usually in very oozy sediments at elevations of 100 - 400 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.00 m
Pollinators	Flies, Beetles, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A water plant requiring a rich soil and a sunny position in still or slowly moving water[, ]. Succeeds in water from 30 - 120cm deep[]. Prefers a pH between 6 and 7[].
There are two basic types of plant in this genus (this species is a crawler):-
'crawlers' are species with horizontal roots that often spread freely, with new plants being formed at intervals along the root. These species are useful for naturalising, but they do not flower very freely in the cool summers of Britain[].
'clumpers' have vertical roots, they form slowly spreading clumps and produce offsets around the crown. These forms flower much more freely in Britain[].
The flowers have a fruity perfume like that of ripe apples[]. The variety rosea is more strongly fragrant[].

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked[, ]. The seed can be ground into a powder and used as a flour or fried and used like popcorn[].
The root is rich in starch, oil and protein[].
The bitter tasting tuber is occasionally eaten[, , , ]. The bitterness can be reduced somewhat by leaching the root in water.

Medicinal

The following notes are the medicinal uses of N. odorata. It is said that this species can be used interchangeably[].

The root is alterative, anodyne, antiseptic, astringent and demulcent[, , , ]. A tea made from the roots is used in the treatment of TB, chronic bronchial complaints, diarrhoea, dysentery, gastrointestinal inflammation, gonorrhoea, vaginal discharge, inflamed glands, mouth sores and to stop bleeding[, ].
A poultice made from the roots is used in the treatment of swellings, boils, tumours, inflamed skin, vaginitis etc[, ]. The roots are harvested in the autumn once the plant has died down, and are dried for later use[].
A complete cure of uterine cancer by a decoction and uterine injection has been recorded[].

Other Uses

None known

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[].
Division in May. Each portion must have at least one eye. Submerge in pots in shallow water until established[].