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WATER lily is one of the more popular aquatic plants that thrive in ponds with still or slow moving water in warm temperate and tropical zones.  It is a floating aquatic perennial plant that thrives in many countries with such a climatic condition.  

In the many instances in the wilds, where there are water lotus plants and water kangkung, it is likely to see water lilies muscling in for some space to grow and multiply.

Water lily which is also known as water nymphs, belong to the Family Nymphaeaceae.  

Its genus of Nymphaea itself has many variants with a lot of variations in the colour of the flowers.  

In fact, many species of the genus have been bred and interbred to produce cultivars that have slight variations in the foliage but striking differences in the flower colours.  

Such colours may range from pink, red, yellow, white, purple and bluish, with bicolour members too, but locally, most of the water lilies seen or cultivated are of the white-flowered type.  

Because of the wide range of flower colours, the plant deserves to be more widely cultivated as an aquatic ornamental.

Based on the shape of the leaves, there are two categories of water lilies that are known as tropical and hardy water lilies.  

The former has jagged and toothed leaf margins while the latter has smooth leaf margins.

In nature, the environment that best suits water lilies is one that is perpetually covered with water that does not gush too violently nor rapidly. Preferably, it should be less than a metre deep with a rich layer of mud at the bottom.  

Also, ponds that do not dry out even during the driest of dry seasons are most suitable for the plant to thrive well. This suits the plant well as its mature height is only about 25-40 cm as opposed to lotus plants which may reach heights of 1.0-1.8 metres above the water level.

The leaves and flowers of water lilies all float on the water surface or rise slightly above it. While most genera have round leaves, a few may have oval or heart-shaped ones.  However, the leaves of the genera Nymphaea and Nuphar, although round in shape, have a single radial slit from the edge to the centre. This is what is usually visible in the plants that are cultivated locally or those that are growing untended in the open ponds or waterlogged areas.

Flowers of the water lily normally open in the mornings and close in the evenings. Unlike many other flowers that open only for a single day, water lilies open and close their flowers for several days in a row. This allows for plant enthusiasts to have ample time to enjoy the beautiful blooms for three to four days, taking into consideration that fresh flowers are continuously being produced by the mature plants.

Water lilies are also different from lotus plants in that the latter has varieties that bear submerged leaves or those that stand tall above the water surface. Moreover, the underwater roots or rhizomes of water lilies are much smaller when compared to those of the lotus which are massive structures that are often used as a vegetable. As lotus plants may yield several tons of roots per hectare, there are some farmers who have lifted themselves out of poverty to join the T20 category after cultivating and selling the stuff for a couple of years.  

As a digression, the business of producing and selling lotus rhizomes is a huge multimillion dollar operation in many oriental locations including Vietnam, China and Taiwan. Perhaps our hardworking officers of the Agricultural Department should send a team on a study-cum-holiday visit to pick up the tips so as to enrich local Sabahan farmers later on.  In due course, an award of a PGDK or even SPDK may not be too much to dream of.

Water lily flowers and leaves that float on the water surface are attached to the rhizomes that are buried in the layer of mud at the bottom.  

The long stalks allow them to move a little to adjust for space but the movements are limited as strong currents may damage the swath of plants growing in the pond.  

By pulling at the stalks, it is possible to extract planting materials from the mud layer at the bottom from which new plants may be obtained.  But if they are cultivated in tubs, aquariums, garden pools, or even in large shallow pans, the task is made even easier.

Once a flower is pollinated, it begins to form a fruit at below the water surface.  Fruits are green in colour and are shaped from oval to spherical, with multiple long and narrow scales covering the entire fruit. Mature fruits appear to be quite similar to dragon fruits although the size is much smaller.

As for the uses of water lilies, the list may indeed surprise many. The plant is cultivated mainly for decorative purposes as the flowers are very attractive especially when set in suitable containers. Apart from this, it is also useful as an edible that may be obtained fresh from the garden.

For instance, the seeds may be eaten raw or cooked or they may be dried and ground into a powder to be mixed into porridge, or be made into noodles, buns or cakes.

The rhizomes may be boiled, fried or roasted and then eaten in great numbers while the young leaves may be prepared and served as a vegetable. Also, the young flower buds may be pickled or stir fried to be put on the table.

In short, it is highly beneficial to cultivate a few water lily plants to improve the aesthetics of the garden as well as filling up the dining table.

The writer may be reached at onggrow@yahoo.com