Nymphaea violacea, also known as blue lily, is a species of flowering plant in the family Nymphaeaceae.
Distribution Nymphaea violacea is found in Australia, particularly in the Western Australian Kimberley region and in northern parts of Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Description The flowers are violet, blue or white.
Cytology The chromosome count is 2n = 112.Pellicer, J., Kelly, L. J., Magdalena, C., & Leitch, I. J. (2013). Insights into the dynamics of genome size and chromosome evolution in the early diverging angiosperm lineage Nymphaeales (water lilies). Genome, 56(8), 437-449.
Etymology The specific epithet violacea is derived from the Latin violace, meaning violet coloured. It refers to the floral colouration.Nymphaea violacea. (2023, July 29). Australian Native Plants Society (Australia). Retrieved October 5, 2023, from https://anpsa.org.au/plant_profiles/nymphaea-violacea/
Uses The waterlily is a bush tucker of the Aboriginal people in northern Australia. The tuber, stem, flowers and seeds are all edible.
Like other species in the genus, the plant contains the psychoactive alkaloid aporphine, which provide sedative effects when ingested.
See also
List of plants known as lily
References