Nuphar advena (Aiton) W.T. Aiton

Yellow Pondlily; Broadleaf Pondlily; Spatterdock

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Yellow Pondlily is a native perennial aquatic herb in the Water-Lily family (Nymphaeaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Yellow Pondlily occurs in ponds and lakes, slow moving streams and rivers, beaver ponds, sloughs, and in canals. It is a perennial from large rhizomes buried in the mud and sediment. The leaves are emersed, floating, or submersed. The leaves are on long, round or slightly flattened petioles. The blade is ovate to orbicular in outline, entire, green in color, glabrous above, and glabrous or pubescent below. The leaf has a single deep notch. The yellow-green lowers are produced singly and either float on the waters surface or are held above it. Each globose flower has 5-9 sepals and numerous inconspicuous stamen-like petals. There is a single large barrel-shaped ovary that is longer than petals and stamens. It has a large green stigmatic disk with entire to crenate margins. The fruit is a ribbed berry-like structure with many seed. Yellow Pondlily is highly variable and intergrades with the other species in Alabama. Plant appearance varies with water levels, light availability, and water chemistry. Yellow Pondlily is occasionally cultivated in larger water gardens, but is less attractive than other Waterlily species (Nymphaea) and can spread aggressively. The seed of Yellow Pondlily are consumed by waterfowl and turtles, and rhizomes and leaves are eaten by beaver, muskrat, and white-tailed deer.—A. Diamond.

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Native

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