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AquaPlantA Diagnostics Tool for Pond Plants and Algae
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Elegant Water Lily

Nymphaea elegans

Elegant Water Lily Locations in North America
Elegant Water Lily Locations in Southeast US


What is Elegant Water Lily?

Physical Characteristics

Leaves:

  • Fleshy leaf stalks
  • Oval-shaped
  • Bottom of leaf purple-ish in color
  • Top of leaf green
  • 3.15-11.81 inches long
  • 2.75-9.84 inches wide
  • Edges flat or slightly wavy

Flowers:

  • Above water
  • 2.36-5.19 inches across
  • Sepals and outer petals in whorls of 4
  • Sepals green in color
  • 8-27 petals
  • Light purple to white in color

Seeds:

  • Fleshy
  • 0.04-0.06 inches long
  • 0.04-0.05 inches wide

Stem:

  • Rhizomes not branching
  • Upright
  • Oval shaped

Where Does it Grow?

Elegant water lily can be found in ponds, lakes, slow streams and ditches.

Pros and Cons of Elegant Water Lily

Submerged portions of all aquatic plants provide habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates. These invertebrates in turn are used as food by fish and other wildlife species (e.g. amphibians, reptiles, ducks, etc.). After aquatic plants die, their decomposition by bacteria and fungi provides food (called “detritus”) for many aquatic invertebrates.

How to Manage This Plant
Plant Glossary

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Photo Credits: The majority of the aquatic plant line drawings are the copyright of the University of Florida Center for Aquatic Plants (Gainsville). They are used with permission.

Aquatic plant photographs were provided by David Bayne, Jim Davis, Kelly Duffie, Billy Higginbotham, Michael Masser, John Clayton, Chetta Owens, Diane Smith, Joe Snow, Don Steinbach, Bridget Robinson Lassiter and Peter Woods.

You may use these photos, so long as you give credit to AquaPlant.

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