Nymphoides indica - Water Snowflake

 

Nymphoides means ‘resembling Nymphaea (water lily)’; indica is from the Latin indicus, of India.[1]

Nymphoides indica is a species that grows underwater, with the leaves of the plant floating on the surface like water lilies. The flowers are held upright above the leaves. It is native to Australia, found in the north of the country, and down the east coast as far south as Sydney. It also grows in southern Asia, including parts of China, and on many of the Pacific islands.

This species prefers warm still or slowly moving water, to about 2 m in depth. It is a robust perennial, with floating stolons and leaves; the stems will grow to several metres in length; the leaves and inflorescences are terminal, but sometimes the stems are branched. The stems produce thick, blunt, banana-shaped roots underneath the leaves. The leaves have the lamina almost orbicular with a radial slit, 3 - 18 (occasionally 30) cm in diameter, the margins entire; they are shortly petiolate. [1]

This plant is often used as a pond plant, in water bowls, tubs and small ponds in protected areas in cooler climates, and in large ponds in the tropics. Though the flowers are tiny, they are very pretty.

Young stems and leaves are cooked and eaten in parts of Asia.[1]

Young leaves and stems - cooked. Boiled or used in curried

Flower buds - cooked. Boiled or used in curried

Fruits - cooked. Boiled or used in curried

An emollient plaster is made from the stems, leaves and flowers when extracting small shot from wounds of a hunting accident [2]