yellow water-lily

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Yellow Water-Lily
• yellow-water-lily
• brandy bottle
• yellow pond-lily

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Nymphaea affinis
• Nymphozanthus luteus
• Nenuphar luteum
• Nymphona lutea
• Nuphar grandiflora
• Nuphar latifolia
• Nuphar systyla
• Nuphar rivularis
• Nuphar sericea
• Nymphozanthus vulgaris
• Nuphar graveolens
• Nuphar lutea var. rivularis
• Nuphar latifolia subsp. boreale
• Nuphar grandifolia
• Nymphozanthus affinis
• Nuphar fluviatile
• Nymphozanthus sericeus
• Nuphar lobata
• Nuphar lutea var. submersa
• Nymphaea umbilicalis
• Nuphar spathulifera
• Nuphar tenella
• Nymphaea lutea var. minor
• Nuphar affinis
• Nymphaea lutea var. affinis
• Nymphaea lutea f. urceolata
• Nymphaea lutea f. purpureosignata
• Nymphaea lutea f. punctata
• Nymphaea lutea f. tenella
• Nymphaea lutea f. terrestris
• Nymphaea lutea f. submersa
• Nymphaea lutea var. puberula
• Nymphaea lutea f. schlierensis
• Nymphaea lutea f. sericea
• Nymphaea lutea subf. denticulata
• Nymphaea lutea var. harzii

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is organized under the order Nymphaeaales and the family Nymphaeaceae. Finally, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Nuphar, which includes the species Nuphar lutea.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific geographical range across several regions in Northern Europe. It can be found growing in the natural habitats of Denmark. Its distribution also extends to the waters of Finland. Furthermore, the species is present throughout Great Britain and Ireland. Finally, the plant is commonly documented in Norway.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Nuphar lutea is fundamentally defined by its strictly aquatic habitat, where it thrives in lentic ecosystems such as ponds, lakes, marshes, and slow-moving river margins. As a rooted macrophyte, it occupies the benthic zone, anchoring itself into the soft, organic-rich sediments of the lake or pond floor with thick, fleshy rhizomes. From these submerged anchors, the plant extends long, flexible petioles toward the water's surface to deploy its floating leaves and reproductive structures. This aquatic positioning allows it to play a vital role in nutrient cycling and as a structural component of the littoral zone, providing essential shade and shelter for various fish, invertebrates, and amphibian species. By colonizing the shallow margins of water bodies, Nuphar lutea helps stabilize sediments and contributes to the complex trophic web characteristic of freshwater wetland environments.

Habitat :

aquatic

Life history

The life history of Nuphar lutea is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons by utilizing robust underground structures. As a specialized hydrophyte, it is specifically adapted to aquatic environments, often functioning as a helophyte where its root systems are anchored in the sediment while its foliage extends toward the water's surface. The plant's survival strategy involves a cryptophyte life form, relying on protected perennals or rhizomes that remain submerged or buried to endure unfavorable conditions. Furthermore, Nuphar lutea exhibits a deciduous nature, with its above-ground foliage and reproductive structures dying back seasonally, typically in response to cooling water temperatures or seasonal shifts, before regenerating from its perennial base in the following spring.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

hydrophyte

Life form :

cryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Nuphar lutea is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and forb. It is a self-supporting plant that does not function as a climber or a parasite, operating as an independent organism. Its habitat is primarily aquatic, though it can transition through semiaquatic and terrestrial states. The plant exhibits significant variation in size, with a minimum height of 0.5 m and a maximum height reaching up to 2.5 m, resulting in a mean plant height of approximately 0.03 m in specific developmental contexts or recorded datasets. As a terrestrial-based aquatic species, its structure is entirely non-woody.

Aquatic :

aquatic

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

2.5 m

Plant height mean:

0.03 m

Plant height min:

0.5 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Nuphar lutea is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, a standard metabolic strategy for aquatic macrophytes operating in temperate environments. As a non-carnivorous species, it relies on traditional nutrient uptake through its root systems and water interface rather than trapping prey. The plant's vegetative morphology is defined by expansive foliage, with leaf widths typically measuring 29 cm (a value consistent across its minimum and maximum recorded dimensions) and leaf lengths reaching a maximum of 40 cm. These leaves exhibit a mean surface area of 262.4425 cm², supporting efficient light interception for carbon fixation. Furthermore, the plant maintains a mean Specific Leaf Area (SLA) of 159.65 cm²/g, reflecting the structural investment and resource allocation strategy used to balance leaf thickness with surface area for optimal gas exchange and buoyancy.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf length max:

40 cm

Leaf size mean:

262.4425 cm²

Leaf width mean:

29 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

159.65 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Nuphar lutea is characterized by a specialized sexual cycle, as asexual reproduction is notably absent. The flowering period typically begins in June and concludes in August. During this time, the plant utilizes a biotic pollination syndrome, specifically relying on insects such as flies for the transfer of pollen; notably, self-fertilization is absent, ensuring genetic diversity through cross-pollination. Following successful fertilization, the plant develops an indehiscent fruit categorized as a berry, which maintains an average fruit length of 3 cm. The seeds produced are hydrochorous, meaning they are dispersed via water, a dispersal syndrome that is consistent across its reproductive strategy. The seeds vary in mass, with a mean mass of approximately 0.2424395 g and a recorded mass range where the minimum and maximum values are both documented at 0.46 g.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

hydrochorous

Flowering time :

Jun

Flowering time :

Aug

Fruit length mean:

3 cm

Fruit type :

berry

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

fly

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Seed mass max:

0.46 g

Seed mass mean:

0.2424395 g

Self fertilization :

absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Nuphar lutea has 1 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 6,6'-dihydroxythiobinupharidine.

6,6'-dihydroxythiobinupharidine

1. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters

Conditions

Nuphar lutea has 4 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include Leishmania major, Cutaneous leishmaniasis, Leishmania, leishmaniasis.

Leishmania major

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
2. Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)

Cutaneous leishmaniasis

1. Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)

Leishmania

1. Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)

Leishmaniasis

1. Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)

Preparations

Nuphar lutea has 4 reported preparations identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Mediterranean plant extracts, extract-purified nupharidine 6,6'-dihydroxythiobinupharidine (DTBN), methanolic plant extract, semi-purified extract.

Mediterranean plant extracts

1. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters

Extract-purified nupharidine 6,6'-dihydroxythiobinupharidine (dtbn)

1. Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)

Methanolic plant extract

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Semi-purified extract

1. Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)