The yellow water-lily (Nuphar lutea) is
less common than the white variety, but is still found quite widely, both in
ornamental ponds and in the wild, where it favours still and slow-moving water.
It grows from fleshy stems rooted in the
mud at the bottom of lakes and streams. Stalks up to nine feet (2.75 metres)
long then grow towards the surface where the leaves and flowers float, although
some leaves stay submerged. The floating leaves are the largest of any water
plant found wild in Great Britain, measuring up to 16x12 inches (40x30
centimetres). The yellow flowers are only 2-3 inches (5-7.5 centimetres)
across, comprising many petals surrounded by five or six sepals.
The seed capsules take the shape of a
flask, which is one reason why the yellow water-lily is also known as the
“brandy bottle”, the other reason being that the flowers have a scent
reminiscent of stale alcohol! The capsules contain air pockets that enable them
to float away from the host plant before they sink and release their seeds.
Preparations made from yellow water-lilies
have the effect of inhibiting sexual drive. This property was found to be
useful in medieval monasteries and nunneries, where celibacy was the order of
the day. Images of yellow water-lily flowers have been discovered in carvings
in abbeys and cathedrals, presumably for the above reason.
© John Welford
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