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Common Name: Yellow Water Lily

General Information

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

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[].

Botanical References

,

Range

Europe, including Britain, to N. Asia.

Habitat

Deep, slow moving or still water to a depth of 3metres[, ].

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

Edible Uses

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

Medicinal

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

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[].