The pink-flowered Nymphaea nouchali

The pink-flowered Nymphaea nouchali in Delhi, India.

Nymphaea nouchali (also called Star lotus, Red and blue water lily, Blue star water lily, or by its synonym Nymphaea stellata) is a water lily of genus Nymphaea. It is the national flower of Sri Lanka and of Bangladesh.

This aquatic plant is native from the Indian Subcontinent to Australia region. It has been long valued as a garden flower in Thailand and Myanmar to decorate ponds and gardens. In its natural state N. nouchali is found in static or slow-flowing aquatic habitats of little to moderate depth.

Nymphaea nouchali is a day blooming non-viviparous plant with submerged roots and stems. Part of the leaves are submerged, while others rise slightly above the surface. The leaves are round and green on top; they usually have a darker underside. The floating leaves have undulating edges that give them a crenelate appearance. Their size is about 20--23 cm and their spread is 0.9 to 1.8 m

This water lily has a beautiful flower which is usually violet blue in color with reddish edges. Some varieties have white, purple, mauve or fuchsia-colored flowers. The flower has 4-5 sepals and 13-15 petals that have an angular appearance making the flower look star-shaped from above. The cup-like calyx has a diameter of 11--14 cm.

Source : Wikipedia

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