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Common Name: Common Spatterdock

General Information

Nuphar advena is a Perennial
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Southeastern N. America - Labrador and Nova Scotia, south to Florida, Texas and Utah.

Habitat

Ponds, lakes, sluggish streams and rivers, springs, marshes, ditches, canals, sloughs, and tidal waters from sea level to 450 metres[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.00 m
Pollinators	Flies, Beetles
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A water plant requiring a rich soil and a sunny position. It is best if grown in still water that is up to 60cm deep but it also tolerates slow moving water[]. Succeeds in light shade[].
A very ornamental plant[].
Nuphar advena is extremely variable and intergrades with N . orbiculata , N . ulvacea , and N . sagittifolia in areas where their ranges overlap[].

Edible Uses

Root - raw or cooked[, , , ]. The root can be soaked in water in order to remove a bitter taste[]. After long boiling, it has a taste like sheep's liver[]. The root can also be dried and ground into a powder then used as a thickener in soups, or can be added to cereal flours when making bread, cakes etc[, ].
Seed - raw or cooked. It can be roasted, then ground into a powder and eaten raw[] or used to thicken soups etc[, , , , ]. The seed can also be toasted like popcorn[].

Medicinal

The fresh root is anodyne, astringent and demulcent[]. The pulverized dried rhizomes have been used to arrest bleeding[]. A tea made from the roots is used in the treatment of dysentery, diarrhoea etc[].
A poultice made from the roots is used in the treatment of swellings, boils, tumours, inflamed skin etc[, ].

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[].