Nuphar advena
A yellow-flowered aquatic herb native to the Americas and naturalized in Britain.
Nuphar advena, commonly known as spatterdock, cow lily, or yellow pond-lily, is a perennial aquatic herb native to the eastern United States, parts of Canada, Mexico, and Cuba, and locally naturalized in Britain. It is notable for its spongy rhizomes, emergent or floating leaves, and fragrant yellow-green flowers that are pollinated by sweat bees, syrphid flies, and leaf beetles.
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Nuphar
- Parent
- Nuphar sect. Astylus
- Species
- advena
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
First published as Nymphaea advena by William Aiton in 1789, the species was later placed into the genus Nuphar by William Townsend Aiton in 1811. It belongs to section Nuphar sect. Astylus. The specific epithet advena means immigrant, outsider, foreigner, or stranger, reflecting its introduced status in some regions. In the United Kingdom, it has hybridised with Nuphar lutea to produce the hybrid Nuphar × porphyranthera.
Reader's Guide
Nuphar advena is significant as a native component of freshwater ecosystems across eastern North America, Mexico, and Cuba, and as a naturalized plant in Britain. Its flowers are protogynous, fragrant, and nectariferous, attracting sweat bees, syrphid flies, and leaf beetles as pollinators. The seeds are consumed by turtles and waterfowl, while muskrats occasionally collect the rootstocks. The plant has been used as food: dried seeds can be eaten or ground to flour, and Native Americans cooked the rootstocks, removing the rind to prepare the sweetish, glutinous contents. It is also cultivated as an ornamental plant. The NatureServe conservation status is T5 Secure, indicating it is not at risk. Its ability to hybridize with Nuphar lutea in Britain demonstrates its genetic compatibility with related species in introduced ranges.
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