Nymphaea odorata
The muse of widely famous artist, Claude Monet, the nymphaea odorata, or the American White Waterlily, is an aquatic plant that is easily recognized by throughout nature and culture by its eye-catching open bloom.
Water lilies are important factors in aquatic ecosystems. Because they rest on top of the water's surface, the flowers and leafs provide essential shade, keeping the water cooler and preventing algae that thrives in heat from growing in excess. Water lilies also help shelter fish swimming beneath them from the heat of the sun and predatory birds.
American White Waterlily Leaf Voucher
Field Notes:
Flowers (not pictured in above leaf voucher) are found floating on water, range from about 7.5-12.5 cm. wide with broad, tapering, bilaterally symmetric petals found in rows, most commonly found in varying hues of white, pink, or light yellow
Mostly only flower from early morning until around noon
Stomata, found on the upper surface of the leaf, and the soft, spongy leaf stalk allow for the movement of gasses such as oxygen and carbon dioxide
There are often more than 70 stamen found on any given American White Waterlily
Leaves (pictured in above leaf voucher) range from 10-30 cm. wide, are heart shaped and broadly rounded. The upper side is water repellant and glossy green. The underside is purplish-red
Hindu & Buddhists Symbolism
Buddhists regard the water lily as a symbol of enlightenment, purity, birth, and ultimately, the circle of life. Waterlily seeds grow up and develop and are admired by its beauty, striking composition, and color. Then, in the context of Buddhism, the flower sacrifices itself to the water, being flushed underneath, and spreading its seeds in the water, allowing new growth of the beautiful flowers, representing the circle of life.
So, scientifically speaking, not only do they transform themselves in order to become something better), but they will also self-propagate and this way they will continue with their life cycles.
Reproduction Cycle:
Flowers upon during the daytime for approximately three days
Day One: petals are not fully open and form a bulbish structure (as seen in image 1) which is filled with sugar-contained fluid, bees enter the flower and fall into the fluid causing disruption which allows the pollen to fall off of the stigma and fertilize the flower
Day Two-Three: flowers begin to open and bees continue to land on and transport the pollen
Day Four: the entire flower is pulled underwater (where seeds mature), currents and movement of water disperses the seeds and the cycle repeats itself