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Herbs & Plants

Water Lily

Botanical Name:  Nymphaeaceae
Family: Nymphaeaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Nymphaeales
Common Name: Water Lilies

Habitat:Ponds & lakes. Water lilies grow and live in freshwater areas in temperate and tropical climates around the world.

Description:
Large, aquatic herb with wide-spreading, horizont al,
thickened rhizomes rooted in mud. Leaves glaucous, nearly orbicular,
concave, peltate, 30-90 cm across, with often sinuate margins, usually
above the water on long petioles; petioles and peduncles rough. Flowers
fragrant, pink, rose, or sometimes white, solitary, large, showy, mostly
overtopping leaves; sepals 4-5; petals and stamens many, attached at the
base of an obconical, flat-topped receptacle in which the many 1-ovuled
carpels are embedded. Flowers are sacred to Buddhists. Grown widely in
the Orient for the edible rhizomes and seeds. Jul. – Aug.

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The family contains 8 genera. There are about 70 species of water lilies around the world. The genus Nymphaea contains about 35 species across the Northern Hemisphere. The genus Victoria contains two species of giant water lilies and can be found in South America. Water lilies are rooted in soil in bodies of water, with leaves and flowers floating on the water surface. The leaves are round, with a radial notch in Nymphaea and Nuphar, but fully circular in Victoria.

Water lilies are divided into two main categories: hardy and tropical. Hardy water lilies bloom only during the day, but tropical water lilies can bloom either during the day or at night, and are the only group to contain blue-flowered plants.

Water lilies can be fragrant, such as Nymphaea odorata.

Bio-Activities:   Vasodilation (methylcorypalline), uterine smooth muscle
relaxation (demethylcoclaurine) (1), hypotensive (liensinine,
benzylisoquinoline dimer) (2), antihypercholesterolaemic (3).

Chemical components. Alkaloids (1): lotusine, demethylcoclaurine,
liensinine, isoliensinine, neferine, nornuciferine, pronuciferine,
methylcorypalline, norarmepavine, liriodenine. Flavonoids (4): nelumboside.
(1) Hsu, H.-Y. (1986) Oriental Materia Medica, p. 251, 508,
Oriental Healing Art Institute, Long Beach, CA.
(2) Chen, W.Z. et al. (1962) Yueh Hsueh Hsueh Pao 9, 271,
277.
(3) Onishi, E. et al. (1984) Chem. Pharm. Bull. 32, 646.
(4) Ishida, H. et al. (1988) Chem. Pharm. Bull. 36, 4585.

Medicinal Uses of Water Lily:
Parts Used : Seeds
Traditional uses. Diarrhoea, spematorrhoea, leukorrhoea.
You may click to see ->medicinal uses of  White water lily (Nymphaea odorata)

Disclaimer:The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphaeaceae

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