Fox nut

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Gorgon
• Prickly Water Lily
• euryale
• foxnut
• Prickly Water-lily
• gorgon plant

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Euryale ferox f. ussuriense
• Anneslea spinosa
• Euryale indica

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. It is further categorized under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Nymphaeaales, falling within the family Nymphaeaecae. Finally, its specific taxonomic designation is placed under the genus Euryale.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution across several distinct regions of East Asia. Within the Russian Far East, it can be found specifically in the Primorye region. Its presence is also widespread throughout China, spanning from the South-Central provinces to the island of Hainan. Additionally, the species inhabits the northern territories of China, including Inner Mongolia and Manchuria. Collectively, these areas highlight the plant's ability to thrive across diverse northern and southern climates.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Euryale ferox is fundamentally defined by its specialized aquatic lifestyle, as it is an obligate hydrophytic species found primarily in lentic environments. This plant thrives in the calm, still waters of lakes, where it occupies various niches depending on the depth and substrate composition. It is typically situated in the littoral zone, where sunlight can penetrate the water column to support its photosynthetic processes. Its presence is closely tied to stable lacustrine ecosystems, often growing in soft, silty, or muddy bottoms that provide the necessary anchorage for its root systems. Because it inhabits these specific aquatic habitats, its survival and reproductive success are highly dependent on the water quality, temperature stability, and light availability characteristic of permanent lake systems.

Habitat :

aquatic, lakes

Life history

The life history of Euryale ferox is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning the plant completes its entire developmental process from germination to seed production within a single growing season. Beginning as a seed in the damp, organic-rich substrates of vernal pools or shallow wetlands, the plant rapidly establishes itself as the seasonal waters rise. During its active phase, it develops a rosette of basal leaves and produces distinct, large white flowers that are essential for its reproductive success. Following successful pollination, the plant transitions into its reproductive maturity, focusing its energy on the development of its characteristic fleshy, berry-like fruits. Once the seeds are fully matured and dispersed into the surrounding aquatic or semi-aquatic environment, the individual plant senesces and dies, leaving the survival of the population dependent on the dormant seed bank for the subsequent season.

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Euryale ferox is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb, typically reaching an average plant height of approximately 1 meter. This species functions as an independent organism, neither acting as a parasite nor as an epiphyte, maintaining a primarily terrestrial existence within its habitat. It is classified as an aquatic plant, capable of thriving in aquatic, semiaquatic, or terrestrial environments. In terms of its structural habit, the plant is self-supporting rather than acting as a climber, liana, or vine.

Aquatic :

aquatic

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

1 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Euryale ferox is characterized by a metabolic profile consistent with many aquatic monocots, specifically utilizing a C3 photosynthetic pathway for carbon fixation. This pathway involves the direct carboxylation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate by the enzyme RuBisCO, a process typical for plants inhabiting stable, freshwater environments where water loss through transpiration is not a primary physiological constraint. Furthermore, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the specialized symbiotic relationships with diazotrophic bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into biologically available forms; instead, it relies on the uptake of dissolved inorganic nitrogen, such as nitrates and ammonium, directly from its aquatic substrate and surrounding water column to support its growth and biochemical processes.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Euryale ferox is characterized by a specific flowering season that typically commences in July and extends through September, though the timing can be variable. Following pollination, the plant develops fruit that exhibits significant morphological range; the fruit length varies from a minimum of 3 cm to a maximum of 5 cm, with a mean length of 4 cm. Similarly, the fruit width ranges from a minimum of 3 cm to a maximum of 5 cm, maintaining an average width of 4 cm. The seeds produced during this reproductive cycle are remarkably consistent in mass, with a mean, minimum, and maximum value all recorded at 0.06035 g, indicating a highly uniform seed size for the species.

Flowering time :

Jul

Flowering time :

Sep

Fruit length max:

5 cm

Fruit length mean:

4 cm

Fruit length min:

3 cm

Fruit width max:

5 cm

Fruit width mean:

4 cm

Fruit width min:

3 cm

Seed mass mean:

0.06035 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Euryale ferox has 1 reported plant parts identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include seed.

Seed

1. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Journal of natural products

Chemicals

Euryale ferox has 24 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Anthocyanins, IAA, STARCH, indole-3-acetic acid.

Flavonoids

1. BMC genomics
2. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
3. Molecular genetics and genomics : MGG
4. Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences

Anthocyanins

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
2. Molecular genetics and genomics : MGG

IAA

1. BMC plant biology
2. Frontiers in plant science

STARCH

1. Science in China. Series C, Life sciences
2. Journal of the science of food and agriculture

indole-3-acetic acid

1. BMC plant biology
2. Frontiers in plant science

2'-deoxyguanosine

1. Journal of chromatographic science

AMYLOSE

1. Journal of the science of food and agriculture

Cerebrosides

1. Journal of natural products

Corilagin

1. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)

Flavonoid

1. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)

Activities

Euryale ferox has 2 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Hypoglycemic.

Antioxidant

1. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)

Hypoglycemic

1. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)

Medicinal Uses

Euryale ferox has 5 reported medicinal uses identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cardiovascular diseases, hyperglycemia, inflammation, kidney disease, oxidative stress.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations