Flower

White Water Lily

Nymphaea nouchali

"Shapla (শাপলা)"

Quick Facts

White Water Lily

Nymphaea nouchali

Flower

Family

Nymphaeaceae

Growing Area

Ponds, lakes, haors, and wetlands across Bangladesh — especially in Sylhet, Barisal, and Dhaka

Habitat

Freshwater ponds, lakes, slow-moving rivers, haors

Propagation

Rhizome division or seeds

Planting Time

March–April

Harvesting Time

Year-round (flowers), October–December (seeds and stems for food)

Use Value

National flower of Bangladesh; edible (stems and seeds consumed as vegetables); ornamental; traditional medicine

Bloom Months

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

About

Nymphaea nouchali, often known by its synonym Nymphaea stellata, or by common names blue lotus, star lotus, red water lily, dwarf aquarium lily, blue water lily, blue star water lily or manel flower, is a water lily of genus Nymphaea. It is native to southern and eastern parts of Asia, and is the national flower of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. This species is usually considered to include the blue Egyptian lotus N. nouchali var. caerulea. In the past, taxonomic confusion has occurred, with the name Nymphaea nouchali incorrectly applied to Nymphaea pubescens.

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Data Attribution & Acknowledgments

Text & Information

Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Photographs (6 images)

Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0

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