Common Name: Foxnut

General Information

Euryale ferox is a perennial water plant growing from a short rhizome in water that can be up to 5 metres deep. A type of water lily, it produces a rosette of large, spine-covered leaves that, when mature, float on the surface of the water.
The plant is frequently cultivated for food in China and India[], indeed it is said to have been cultivated in China for about 3,000 years[]. The seeds are normally available in Chinatown markets in the West[].
Euryale ferox covers a wide geographic range. It is mostly a cultivated plant and is extensively used in China for several purposes such as food and medicine. No major threats to this species have been reported. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar.

Habitat

Still and slowly flowing water in ponds and lakes in lowland, C. and S. Japan[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Euryale ferox is a plant of the subtropics and tropics. This species is not very cold hardy and only succeeds outdoors in the mildest regions of the temperate zone.
A water plant, it requires a rich soil, preferably growing in still water[]. It can be grown in still or slowly flowing water up to 5 metres deep[]. Individual plants require about 0.75 cubic metres of root run[].

Edible Uses

Fruit[]. Soft and pulpy, it is about the size of a small orange[]. It is highly esteemed in China as a cooling tonic food[]. Roxburgh describes the process of cooking the seeds which consists in roasting them in hot sand They swell ana burst when the seed-coat is easily removeable[].

Seed - fresh or dried[, , ]. The black seed is about the size of a pea, each fruit containing from 8 to 15 seeds[]. The seed is usually roasted and then eaten[]. It is also used as a source of starch[], furnishing a light food for invalids which is similar to arrowroot[]. A nutritional analysis is available[].

Very young stalks and rhizomes[, , ]. Rich in starch[].

Medicinal

The leaf is used in cases of difficult parturition[].

All parts of the plant are considered to be astringent, deobstruent and tonic[].

The seed is a sweet and sour astringent herb that acts as a tonic for the kidney and the spleen[]. The seed is analgesic and aphrodisiac[]. It is taken internally in the treatment of chronic diarrhoea, vaginal discharge, kidney weakness associated with frequent urination, impotence, premature and involuntary ejaculation and nocturnal emissions[, ]. It is a light and invigorating food suited for the sick[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe, the seed has a short viability and must not be allowed to become dry. Sow the seed in pots in a greenhouse at about 21°c and immerse the pots in water. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.