Water lilies

Water lilies are as much a part of summer as barbecues and fireworks. Their showy flowers bloom for much of the season, and the typical floating leaves – the “lily pads†– are a haven for wildlife in the shallows of lakes and ponds.

In our area there are two principal kinds of water lilies: the water lily (Nymphaea species), which has a large, many-petaled white or sometimes pink flower at the water’s surface, and spatterdock (Nuphar species), which also goes by the name cow lily or yellow pond lily and has a ball-shaped yellow flower held on a stalk higher above the water’s surface. The large, entire leaves of both water lily and spatterdock grow from stems on the pond floor and float on the surface of the water. The water lily’s leaf is round, with a cleft in it, while the spatterdock’s is more heart-shaped.

 The reproductive biology of the water lily is particularly interesting. Each flower contains both male and female reproductive parts, and each blooms for three days. On the first day, the flower produces a very fragrant, milky liquid in its center that attracts insects. The visitor is already carrying pollen from another flower, which washes off in the tasty pool, thus fertilizing the flower.

On the second and third days, the flower produces pollen on its anthers that insect visitors carry to other flowers that are in the first day of their cycle. Rarely do the flowers self-pollinate, though they have the ability to do so.

 After the flower is fertilized, it closes, sinking into the pond and becoming a fleshy fruit. In the water the fleshy fruit rapidly decays, and pond currents carry the seeds to set root in new areas. Birds and other creatures also occasionally disperse the seeds by eating them. Water lilies and spatterdock also propagate by means of spreading stems called rhizomes. Even a piece of broken-off stem can grow a new plant.

 The leaves of water lilies are eaten by a variety of animals, such as muskrats, beavers, ducks, and geese. Deer may also wade into the shallows to feed on them. There is a great deal of lore around the herbal and medicinal properties of lilies, with prominent usage as poultices and to soothe sores in the mouth.  Native American cultures often ate the seeds and other parts of the plant.

On a more “micro†scale, it is fascinating to observe up close the environment around a single flower or small section of water lilies. Many different kinds of dragonflies and damselflies spend their time around water lilies, and frogs seek shade on or under the lily pads. Look closely at a flower and you will see many flies, bees, beetles, and other insects. Each flower seems to be a world of its own.

Interestingly, no animals in our region appear to be specifically adapted for life among the water lilies, although in the subtropical and tropical regions, several birds are particularly well-suited to this life, especially the jacanas, which have exceptionally long toes that enable them to clamber about effortlessly on the floating vegetation (something like the aquatic equivalent of snowshoes).

Fred Baumgarten is a naturalist and writer. He can be reached at fredb58@sbcglobal.net. His blog is at thatbirdblog.blogspot.com.