General information about the plant white water lily. Nymphea (water lily) planting and care in a pond or aquarium. Procurement and collection

Water lily - a charming and delicate white water lily - is nothing more than the famous fairy-tale grass. Rumor ascribes magical properties to it. She was endowed with the properties to protect people, she could give strength to overcome the enemy, protect from troubles and misfortunes, but she could also destroy the one who was looking for her with unclean thoughts.

The Slavs believed that the water lily was able to protect people from various troubles while traveling. Going on a long journey, people sewed leaves and flowers of water lilies into small bags, carried water lilies with them as an amulet and firmly believed that this would bring them good luck and protect them from misfortunes.

There was also a kind of spell on this occasion: “I am riding in an open field, and grass grows in an open field. I didn’t give birth to you, I didn’t water you. Overcome the grass! Overcome the evil people: they would have famously not thought of me, they did not think badly; drive away the sorcerer-tattler.

Overcome-grass! Overcome high mountains, low valleys, blue lakes, steep banks, dark forests, stumps and decks. I will hide you, overpowering grass, at the zealous heart all the way and all the way!
Folk names: grass overpower or white overpower, balabolka, swimmer, mermaid flower or mermaid color, water poppy or water poppy, bliskalka, beaver, white hens, water companion, water color, white water lily.
The pitcher is wonderful! This is one of the most beautiful plants. The white water lily has long been considered a symbol of beauty, purity and mercy. These large flowers with a golden mean grow in the still waters of our rivers and lakes. The water lily is also called the “child of the sun”: its beautiful flowers open in the morning and close at dusk.



"Blue lotus, or blue water lily (lat. Nymphaea caerulea) is an aquatic plant of the water lily family, a species of the genus Water lily growing in East Africa (from the Nile Valley to the extreme south of the continent), India and Thailand."

There are many legends about the origin of this wonderful plant. They say that she got her name in honor of the nymphs that live, like these plants in the water. As is known from Greek mythology, nymphs are the deities of nature: forests, mountains, lakes, rivers and seas. No wonder the flowers named after them are beautiful. In Slavic fairy tales, the idea of ​​water lilies is associated with the mysterious image of a mermaid.

Scandinavian legends say that every water lily has its own friend - an elf, who is born with her, and dies with her. According to popular belief, nymphs live in its flowers and leaves along with little elves. Leaves and flowers serve as boats for these little elves.
Corollas of flowers serve the elves as both a home and a bell.

During the day, the elves sleep in the depths of the flower, and at night they swing the pestle and call, calling their brothers for a quiet conversation. Some of them sit in a circle on a leaf, hanging their legs into the water, while others prefer to talk, swaying in the corollas of water lilies.

Gathering together, they sit in capsules and row, row with petal oars, and the capsules then serve them as boats or boats. The conversations of the elves take place at a late hour, when everything on the lake has calmed down and plunged into a deep sleep.

Lake elves live in underwater crystal chambers built from shells. Pearls, yachts, silver and corals glisten around the halls. Emerald streams roll along the bottom of the lake, dotted with multi-colored pebbles, and waterfalls fall on the roofs of the halls. The sun shines through the water into these dwellings, and the moon and the stars call the elves to the shore.

Switzerland, Goldfish and Lily

The ancient Greek legend about the water lily tells how a beautiful white nymph, inflamed with love for Hercules and did not receive a response from him, turned into a white water lily out of grief and love for him.
In ancient Greece, the flower was considered a symbol of beauty and eloquence. Young girls wove garlands from them, decorated their heads and tunics with them; they even wove a wreath of water lilies for the beautiful Helen on the day of her wedding to King Menelaus and decorated the entrance to their bedroom with a wreath.

The legend of the North American Indians says that the water lily appeared during the collision of the Polar and Evening Stars, from their sparks. These two stars argued among themselves who would get the arrow that the great Indian leader shot into the sky and collided in flight.

According to North German belief, water lilies grew on the site of two dead mermaids, who were killed by an evil nyx (in ancient German mythology - a mermaid) who lived in the lake.
In Germany, it was said that once a little mermaid fell in love with a knight, but he did not reciprocate her feelings. From grief, the nymph turned into a water lily.


"Nymphea Karelian"

According to another legend, water lilies are the children of a beautiful countess, carried away into mud by a swamp king. Heartbroken, the Countess went daily to the shore of the swamp. One day she saw a wonderful white flower, the petals of which resembled the complexion of her daughter, and the stamens - her golden hair.

There is a belief that nymphs (mermaids) hide in flowers and on the leaves of water lilies, and at midnight they begin to dance and drag people passing by the lake with them. If someone managed to somehow escape from them, then grief will dry him up later.

In the distant past, the entire coastal strip of Italy, from Pisa to Naples, was occupied by swamps. There, the legend of the beautiful Melinda and the king of the swamp was born. The legend that water lilies are the children of the beautiful blond Countess Melinda and the ugly, terrible swamp king who kidnapped her. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful Melinda.


on Yandex.Photos

And the swamp king followed her all the time. The king's eyes flickered when he looked at the beautiful girl, and although he was scary as hell, he nevertheless became Melinda's husband, and the yellow capsule helped him get the beauty - the closest relative of the white water lily, personifying treason and deceit.
Walking with her friends by the swampy lake, Melinda admired the golden floating flowers, reached for one of them, stepped on the coastal stump, in which the lord of the bog hid, and he carried the girl to the bottom.


""scarlet flower"-2"

At the place of her death, snow-white flowers with a yellow core surfaced. So after the lilies-pods appeared water lilies-lilies, meaning in the ancient language of flowers: "You must never deceive me."


Water lilies, Nikitsky Botanical Garden, Crimea

The pod blooms from late May to August. At this time, next to the floating leaves, you can see large yellow, almost spherical flowers sticking high on thick pedicels.

The capsule has long been considered a medicinal plant in folk medicine. Both leaves were used, and a thick, up to 15 centimeters long, rhizome lying on the bottom, and large, well-smelling flowers reaching 5 centimeters in diameter.

They cut off the egg-pod and in order to decorate her dwelling with flowers. And in vain: the flowers of the capsule, like the white lily, do not stand in vases.


small egg

The white water lily is protected by law, as there are very few of them left in the reservoirs of rivers and lakes. The water lily blooms for a long time, from the end of May to August. White lily flowers open in the early morning and close in the late evening.



"Nymphaeums flaunt on our lake. They say that some enthusiast dived from a boat, planted ... Praise be to him. Far from the coast ... But away from vandals ..)))"

If you come early in the morning to the lake, you can observe how these flowers appear from the water. This is an unforgettable sight! Here, from the depths of the lake, something begins to rise, and a large bud appears on the surface.

In a matter of minutes, it turns into a beautiful white flower. Nearby is another one, a little further away ... It is surprising that the buds emerge just before sunrise, and open as soon as the sun's rays touch the surface of the water.

You won't find them in the same position all day. From morning until evening, flowering water lilies follow the movement of the sun, turning the floating head towards its rays. At noon they open all their petals. Then their flowers begin to gradually close and the flower looks like an unopened bud.

And here an interesting thing happens: the closed flowers of the water lily begin to slowly sink into the water. These whip-stems, shortening, draw flowers behind them. Water lilies are very fond of the sun, clouds will come in a little and they will slowly begin to close.

The leaf of the water lily is floating like a raft, outwardly simple, heart-shaped and thick, like a flat cake; there are air cavities inside it, therefore it does not sink.


There is several times more air in it in order to hold its own weight, the excess of which is necessary for unforeseen accidents: if, say, a bird or a frog sits down, the sheet must hold them.

Water lily white is a perennial aquatic plant. It is sometimes also called the water lily. The water lily is an amazing aquatic plant, it attracts with its unique beauty.

It grows in reservoirs with stagnant and slowly flowing water up to 2 m deep. Dark green leaves floating on the surface of the water, in the form of a large heart, are decorated with a snow-white, bewitching flower that exudes a well-tangible, delicate aroma. The water lily flower consists of many outer and inner snow-white petals. The outer petals are slightly larger than their inner counterparts. In the middle of the flower is a stigma, which is an orange circle with rays emanating in different directions.

The white water lily also has underwater leaves, which are very different from the surface ones in their structure and shape. These are membranous leaves that are folded into a tube.

All leaves and the flower are fixed on an elastic stem that stretches from the underwater root to the surface of the water. This stem is so strong that it does not allow even a strong wind to pluck the water lily from its place.

The water lily reproduces by seeds that ripen under water and root branching. After ripening, the seeds float to the surface, accumulating next to each other, vaguely resembling fish caviar.

Rivers, lakes and ponds are the permanent habitat of this beautiful flower, but it is also worth remembering that the white water lily does not like fast currents, so you can only meet it on “quiet” water.

Unfortunately, the number of fabulous nymphs is becoming less and less, and this is due to pollution and drying up of water bodies. In this regard, the white water lily in many countries is listed in the Red Book as an endangered species and is protected by law.

Not many people know that the nymphaeum can predict the weather. So, for example, if during the day the flowers of the water lily are half closed, or closed completely, rain is approaching.

A water lily, a water lily, a mermaid flower and, finally, a nymphaeum - all these names belong to the most beautiful perennial that grows in ponds with stagnant water, backwaters of rivers and in mini-ponds in suburban areas.

General information

Nymphaeums are native to the tropical waters of Africa and South America. It can also be found in Europe. Botanists count 35 varieties of wild culture and many varieties that have been cultivated and are grown in ponds.

Water lily inflorescences can be white, pink, yellow, cherry, red and peach, blue and pale purple. Flowers float on the water surface among round, large leaves.

Inflorescences and leaves grow on thick strong stems that are connected to the root system located in the soil of the reservoir or in special containers. Nymphea can be large, dwarf and medium. There are also frost-resistant varieties.

Planting this unusually beautiful flower in your pond is quite simple, besides, plant care is minimal if the gardener creates the necessary conditions for it.

Varieties and types of water lilies

- refers to large varieties. Grows in Africa and Eurasia in quiet river backwaters. It has large dark green leaf plates and large white inflorescences with yellow anthers that have a delicate aroma.

- the plant belongs to small varieties. It grows in reservoirs in the middle part of our country. The leaf plates have a dark green tint, a round shape with a part dissected at the base. The inflorescences are small, white in color with a pleasant aroma.

- Nymphea belongs to the smallest and easiest varieties to breed. It has round leaf plates of a green tint with red stains. The inflorescences are small, pale yellow with a slight aroma.

- the plant belongs to small varieties. The culture has large red-colored leaf plates with black specks. Inflorescences are small white with a pleasant aroma. Flowering time falls on the first half of summer and ends in early autumn. This species can be grown both in ponds and in aquariums.

- the plant belongs to small varieties. The water lily has large olive green leaves with a patterned edge. Inflorescences are bright pink with a yellow center, outwardly resembling a lotus. Flowers have a persistent pleasant aroma.

Refers to large varieties. The leaf plates are large, resembling a plate with raised edges, and there are more veins on the inside of the leaf. The inflorescences are large, snow-white in color with a yellow anther and a pleasant aroma. Flowering time is in mid-summer and ends in early autumn.

- the plant belongs to the middle varieties. The leaves are large, flat, round green in color with a dissected edge. Inflorescences are medium, red-crimson hue with a yellow center. Flowers have a pleasant aroma. The flowering time of the nymphaeum lasts from mid-summer to early autumn.

- the plant belongs to small varieties of water lilies. Grows in Siberia. Leaf plates are small, round, dark green. The inflorescences are small lilac-pink in color with a yellow center and a pleasant aroma. Water lily blooms from mid-summer.

- has both above-water and underwater sheet plates. Surface leaves are large, green. Those that grow underwater are smaller and have a red-green hue with dark specks. Inflorescences are white, star-shaped with a pleasant aroma. Flowering time is in July and ends in September.

- refers to small varieties of nymphs. Leaf plates are large, round, green-pink. The inflorescences are small, pleasantly smelling white with a yellow center. The water lily blooms in the middle of summer.

From other varieties, the plant differs in large, round reddish leaf plates. Inflorescences are large, star-shaped. They can be red, white, blue and gradient.

- This variety of water lilies is bred in Thailand. Leaf plates are round, large, having a dark green tint with red stains. Inflorescences are large, located high above the water. Petals have a pink tint with light stripes and a pleasant aroma. The flowering time of the water lily falls in the middle of summer and ends in autumn.

- the plant grows in the backwaters of rivers with stagnant water. The leaf blades are large, dark green with a cut edge at the petiole. The inflorescences are medium, white with a yellow center and a pleasant aroma. The water lily blooms in late June - early July.

- refers to frost-resistant unpretentious varieties. The leaves of the plant are round, flat, dark green or burgundy. Inflorescences are large, velvety dark cherry hue with a yellow anther. The flowering time of the water lily falls in July and ends in early autumn.

- the plant belongs to small varieties. Leaf plates are oval with a slightly pointed end. They have a light green tint with dark and burgundy specks. The plant has leaf plates both above and below water. Inflorescences are small, white. You can grow this variety of nymphs both in a pond and in an aquarium.

Culture refers to large varieties. Leaf plates are round olive or burgundy. In young nymphs, the inflorescences are pale pink, while in adults, the plants are crimson with white stripes on the petals. This variety was bred in 1910.

- the plant belongs to the middle varieties. The water lily grows in Texas. It has large flat leaf plates and small oval-shaped emersed leaves, rolled up in the form of a goblet. The flowers are medium, yellow in color, located above the water. The water lily blooms in mid-summer and early autumn.

- refers to small varieties of water lilies. Leaf plates are small, bright green with dark specks. They grow both above and below water. Water lily inflorescences are small, white with a yellow center.

- in the wild, the plant grows in West Africa. The leaf plates are round, small, olive in color with dark and red stains. The inflorescences are also large, white with pointed petals. The plant blooms from mid-June to early September.

- is an amphibious perennial from the lotus family. It has leathery dark green leaves on the outside and burgundy on the inside. Inflorescences are medium, blue or pale purple with a pleasant aroma. The water lily blooms during the day, in the evening the bud closes and falls under water.

Nymphea landing and care in the pond

In order for the nymphaeum to take root, grow and bloom, it should be properly planted. It is necessary to plant a water lily in a low, wide container with holes at the bottom of the pot. They are necessary for the plant so that its root system can grow and multiply.

Dwarf varieties can be planted in buckets, large and medium ones require large containers of 10-12 liters for planting. In a flower shop you can buy special baskets designed for planting nymphs.

After the container is selected, it is necessary to lay a special earth mixture in it in layers. A layer of humus should be placed down the container, and an already prepared substrate should be placed on top of it.

When planting a crop (it is best to do this in May or June), the root system should be placed horizontally, directing the roots down, gradually filling them with soil and compacting. The edges of the roots, which are at the opposite end from the growing bud, are placed against the wall of the container to allow the root system to grow and develop. So that the soil is not eroded by water, it should be mulched on top with a layer of coarse river sand and a layer of pebbles should be laid on top of it.

When planting is completed, the containers must be transferred to the bottom of the pond, to the appropriate depth for the selected variety. The depth of planting water lilies must be calculated starting from the surface of the soil in the pot, and not from the bottom of the reservoir.

It is also necessary to take into account that at the bottom the water has low temperature indicators, since the sun's rays warm it up poorly, which means that it will be difficult for leaf plates and inflorescences to reach the surface of the water. But a shallow dive into a pond will also have a bad effect on the water lily. Since the leaves grow very quickly, within a week after planting they will be on the surface, which is highly undesirable at first. After landing in a pond, the nymphaeum blooms in a month.

Another beautiful flower is the lily. They are grown during planting and care in the open field without much hassle, if you follow the rules of agricultural technology. You can find all the necessary recommendations for growing and caring in this article.

Soil for nymphs in stagnant water

Planting soil for water lilies consists of several components, which are taken in equal proportions, or rather, it consists of 1/3 of moist clay soil without lumps, 1/3 of peat mixed with garden soil and 1/3 of burnt cow manure.

All components should be mixed and filled with a container for planting, after which the plant should be planted in the soil mixture.

Nymphae transplant

A transplant is necessary for those plants that have been placed in a potted pond. As the root system grows, there will not be enough space in the culture container. As a result of this, the inflorescences and leaf plates of the water lily will begin to shrink.

Transplantation of container nymphs should be carried out every three years. The procedure is simple and is carried out as follows. First, a pot with a water lily is taken out of the water and removed by a countryman with roots. Then it is transferred to another container of a larger volume and covered with new soil, sprinkled with a layer of sand and pebbles on top.

If the gardener wants to immediately propagate the flower, he can simply divide the mother plant into parts. To do this, he needs to take a sharp pruner, disinfect it and cut off areas of the nymph with two or more kidneys. The resulting delenki are seated in separate pots and placed in a pond for further growth.

When transplanting a water lily from a river into a pond, you should carefully dig out the rhizome from the bottom, pack it in poetylene with silt and transfer it to the pond in the garden. You can plant the brought water lily both in a pot and immediately in a pond, pressing the rhizomes with a heavy object to the bottom of the reservoir.

After a while, they will sprout into the ground and take root. However, it is best to carry out a container transplant, since in this case the survival rate of the plant is almost one hundred percent.

Fertilizer for nymphs

Only those nymphs that grow in baskets need to be fed. To fertilize water lilies, you should use a special top dressing for aquatic plants intended for ponds.

It is made in the form of mineral cones or sticks that are inserted into the ground with a flower and dissolve in it. Organics cannot be used, as it will cause the decay process and lead to the death of the water lily.

Nymphaeum bloom

Water lilies bloom mainly from mid-June to mid-September for 3 months. During the day, the flowers bloom, and at night the buds close and go under water.

Inflorescences can be large, small or medium depending on the variety. The color of water lilies is white, pink, red, peach, yellow, blue, light purple and maroon. All flowers have a delicate pleasant aroma.

After flowering, the water lily forms seeds that are used for breeding; they are rarely used as plant propagation material.

Pruning water lilies

To maintain the decorative appearance of the nymphaeum, wilted and damaged leaf plates should be regularly removed. After flowering, the inflorescences are cut off.

But if the gardener is going to get seeds, then the flowers are left until the seed material ripens.

Wintering nymphaeum

Varieties of nymphs with increased winter hardiness tolerate wintering in a pond well, but only if the roots are under the water column and do not freeze into ice. If the depth of the reservoir is from 50 to 60 meters, then the water lily will winter without problems, since the pond will not freeze to the very bottom. If desired, the reservoir can be insulated by laying foam plastic on the bottom or covering it with a thick layer of polyethylene.

In the event that the pond is shallow, you can dig a hole at the bottom and lay the water lily root system in it for wintering. If the reservoir is shallow and has an artificial bottom, then the water lily along with the pot should be moved indoors. Store the plant in a container, packing it in a bag with holes for ventilation. The packed nymphaeum must be transferred to the basement and left there until spring, observing the temperature regime from 0 to +10, as well as monitoring the soil and moisturizing it in a timely manner.

You can store the water lily in the refrigerator. For this purpose, the culture must be removed from the pot, cut off the leaves and stems. Take a plastic bag, fill it with perlite and put the roots in there, and then in the refrigerator. From time to time, the water lily needs to be taken out and moistened.

Reproduction of the nymph

The most popular method of propagation of nymphs is the method of dividing the rhizome.

For this purpose, a mother plant is taken and a root section with two or more buds is separated from it. The cut point is immediately processed with charcoal. The separated plant is planted in a container and moved to the pond.

Nymphea growing from seeds

The seed method of reproduction is less commonly used, since it is suitable only for a warm climate and is used mainly for breeding. Plants propagated in this way are weak and small-flowered, and also bloom only in the fourth year after planting.

To plant a nymphaeum with seeds, the seed material is sown in the ground and containers with seedlings are lowered to the bottom of the pond until germination.

Nymphaeum in the aquarium planting and care

In an aquarium, the nymphaeum can grow from 25 to 80 centimeters. The leaf plates of the plant will be small, as well as the inflorescences that appear in mid-summer. Suitable varieties for aquarium cultivation are rudge, micranta, stellata, viviparous and tiger nymphea.

To grow a healthy and beautiful plant, you must observe a certain temperature regime and illumination. The water temperature in the aquarium should not fall below +24 degrees, otherwise the nymphaeum will slow down growth and will not bloom. In order for the culture to throw out buds, and not everything goes into the growth of green mass, it is necessary that the water be soft and slightly acidic.

The lighting must be good and saturated, otherwise the leaves will begin to fade and shrink, which will result in the loss of decorative water lilies. An aquarium with a water lily is best placed next to a window so that the sun's rays fall into it, and a fluorescent lamp should act as additional lighting. In order for the culture to color and produce seeds, daylight hours must vary from 12 to 14 hours.

The soil for the nymph should be rich in organic matter. Small pebbles are suitable as a basis for landing. Then clay, peat and charcoal are added to it. This planting method is suitable for small aquariums. In large ones, the plant should be planted in a container.

Landing nymphaeum

To plant a water lily in a pot, you should first put fine expanded clay on the bottom, then a layer of a mixture of one part of humus and sand, plus two parts of turf. The container should only be 2/3 full. A water lily is planted on the resulting "earth cushion", and the remaining space is filled with sand and pebbles.

The plant can be propagated by seeds and bush division, which should be done only after the crop has faded. When transplanting a water lily and rooting it, it is necessary to monitor the ph of the soil mixture and the water temperature, which should not fall below +26 degrees.

If the plant is not thinned once a year, it will weaken and lose its decorative effect. The dormant period comes in winter. At this time, the temperature regime should be reduced to +20 degrees. With the onset of March, the water lily is transplanted and its life cycle is repeated again. Flowering in aquarium varieties occurs either at the end of summer or at the beginning of autumn.

With proper care of the water lily, the grower will be able to admire not only its decorative leaf plates, but also exotic flowers with a pleasant aroma.

Diseases and pests

Water lilies can get sick with diseases of fungal etiology. Since they are located in the water, infection occurs very quickly. The main symptom of the disease is yellow leaf plates that begin to become covered with putrefactive spots and disappear .

If the disease has arisen, then the leaf plates should be removed and the water lily should be moved along with the basket to another place where there is more sun and the water warms up better. In case of severe infection, it is recommended to remove all leaf blades.

Of the pests for water lilies, aphids are a serious danger. It feeds on the juice of leaf plates and leads to the destruction of the plant. You can get rid of aphids by washing the leaves with water from a hose or diluting an insecticide solution in water, soaking a sponge in it, wringing it well and wiping the leaves with it. When processing, it is necessary to ensure that the insecticide does not get into the water.

Attack a nymph, maybe an earth beetle. Its danger lies in the fact that the insect larvae are almost invisible and with a strong infection, the water lily simply dies. Pests can be eliminated only by collecting them manually.

If reeds grow in the pond along with the nymph, it can be attacked by the water lily, which eats holes in the leaf plates. In order to prevent its appearance, it is better not to plant reeds in a pond with nymphs, otherwise it will be extremely difficult to remove this pest.

Problems when growing nymphs

Gardeners involved in the cultivation of nymphs may have some problems.

Most often you have to deal with such as:

• No flowering - A water lily may not bloom for two reasons. Due to improperly selected soil and low temperatures or too much deepening of the container in the water. After eliminating these shortcomings, the plant will definitely bloom.
• Leaky sheet plates - the appearance of holes in the leaf plates is evidence of the attack of the water lily bug, in order to destroy this pest, you should cut down the reeds that grow in the pond along with the nymphaeum, but in general, it is better not to plant it in the same pond with water lilies.
• Green water in a water lily pond - this problem is caused by duckweed flowering and is not dangerous for water lilies. However, in order to purify the water from algae, it can be filtered or special preparations that are harmless to the plant can be added to it, which will completely clear the pond of algae blooms.

Subject to all the rules regarding the care of the water lily, the above problems do not arise.

Water lilies omens and superstitions

It is believed that the plant is a talisman against everything bad. This flower is suitable only for people with a pure heart. In ancient times, it was believed that only a good person can pick an inflorescence, a bad one, with negative thoughts and intentions, will be drowned by mermaids who protect the overcoming grass. It is for this reason that signs appeared regarding the fact that it is impossible to tear and bring a nymph into the house.

Among the Slavs, this flower was considered a powerful amulet. Those who had to travel often took the plant with them as an amulet. It was also believed that a flower can awaken talents in a person and cure any disease.

From antiquity to the present day, there has been a sign that a water lily cannot be given, as it will bring misfortune. In fact, everything is exactly the opposite. A bouquet of nymphs presented to your other half will harmonize relationships and bring positive energy into the house.

Conclusion

In general, these unusually beautiful flowers do not carry any negative. They can not only be given and torn, but also grown in a pond in your backyard.

The main thing is to do it right, and then the nymphaeum will delight the gardener with its long flowering in each season for many years.

The water lily - the queen of rivers and lakes, the mermaid flower, the nymphaeum, the water lily, the overpowering grass, the enticing mystery of calm waters - is one of the oldest angiosperms on the planet.

With the appearance of its flowers at the beginning of summer, our reservoirs are transformed, become elegant and solemn.

Not a single plant is associated with so many legends and traditions among different peoples as with a water lily. In ancient times, in Russia, a water lily was considered one of the nine magical herbs, along with plakun-grass, flowering fern, tirlich, Adam's head, gap-grass, orchilin, cover and nechui-wind. The water lily in this list was listed under the name "grass-overcome". She was endowed with the ability to protect travelers. The dried rhizome was put into a bag or a vessel, which, going on a journey, was hung on the chest.

FLOWER NYMPH

The scientific Latin name for the water lily, Nymphaea, is no less poetic. It comes from the Greek "nymph", which means "chrysalis". In Greek mythology, nymphs are beautiful young creatures, patrons of streams, forests, lakes and other natural objects. According to legend, one of the nymphs suffered from unrequited love for Hercules. Taking pity on her, the gods turned her into the purest flower, shining with its immaculate beauty on the surface of the water surface. On behalf of Nymphaeum, the name of the whole botanical family was also formed - Nymphaeaceae, the type genus of which was the water lily.

LOTUS EFFECT

The purity of water lilies, which poets sing, is not at all apparent, not a figment of the imagination. The leaves and flowers of these wonderful inhabitants of smoothly flowing waters are covered with a special compound that repels any dirt. This natural phenomenon, known since time immemorial, scientists have unraveled relatively recently. In the 1990s, the German botanist W. Barthlott examined the surface of the leaf of another aquatic plant, the lotus, using a scanning probe microscope, which gives a very strong magnification. What he saw there, the scientist patented as a discovery called the “lotus effect”.

Now various paints and materials have been created that imitate this effect. The surface covered with them does not get dirty. The most valuable such invention turned out to be for hospitals, where millions of bacteria get on door handles every day. Made from similar materials, they leave no chance for bacteria to gain a foothold on their surface. Real lotus and water lily are not related plants, but they have the same special surface of leaves and flowers.

LOVE POTION

In ancient European herbalists, a water lily was listed as a love potion, with which it was possible to bewitch an object of unrequited love.

Nowadays, the chemical composition of the rhizomes of water lilies has been thoroughly studied. They found the alkaloid nymphein, which acts on the central nervous system, and the glycoside nymphalin, which has a sedative and hypnotic effect. Sometimes you can find a mention of the use of extracts of different types of water lilies in perfumery as aphrodisiacs.

PETALS AND STAMENS

The Nymphaeaceae family is one of the most ancient flowering plants on earth. They belong to the group of so-called basal dicots, which have preserved many unusual features of ancient angiosperms. For example, the number of flower organs - petals, stamens and pistils - they can have almost any number. In addition, water lilies do not have a clear boundary between the petals and stamens: if you “disassemble” the flower into “details”, you can see the gradual transition of some organs to others. The sepals of water lilies growing in our reservoirs are green, and the petals are white. Only a few species live in Russia: snow-white water lily (Nymphaea candida), white water lily (Nymphaea alba), and the northern Siberian species - tetrahedral water lily (Nymphaea tetragona), also with white, but miniature flowers. The white water lily is much rarer than the white water lily. Her flowers are larger, up to 15 cm, with pointed edges of the petals. Young leaves are reddish, with age only the underside remains colored. In tropical and subtropical species, the color range of flowers is much more diverse - their petals can be bright red, burgundy, pink, yellow, blue, dark blue. The ripening fruits of water lilies really resemble a jug in shape, perhaps that is why the plant got its name.

OLD POND IN THE GARDEN

Many winter-hardy hybrid varieties of water lilies have been created that can grow in our climate. The most common of them are obtained at the end of the 19th century by the French breeder J. B. Latour-Marliac. The secret of his success still remains unsolved. It is believed that in order to give the petals a different color, he crossed the winter-hardy white water lily with southern species. Marliak hybrids bloom until the first serious frosts and winter well in our conditions. They do not form seeds, which allows you to maintain the purity of varieties.

Flowers in all types of water lilies bloom for only four days. They open in the morning, at about 9 o'clock, and close in the evening, at about 6 pm. In cloudy weather, they may not open at all, and before it rains, they always hide under water.

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF

Kingdom: plants. Department: angiosperms. Class: dicotyledons. Order: water lilies. Family: water lilies, or nymphs. Genus: water lily. Species: white water lily. 250 cm. Life form: herbaceous perennial.

Water lily white

Medicinal properties and application

Water lily | Nymphaea alba | genus Water lilies | family Water lilies

● The medicinal plant white water lily is also popularly called the overbearing herb, water or white lily and white capsule (do not confuse with yellow capsule). Dear friends and blog readers Traditional medicine recipes»!

On this page I want to tell you how white water lily is useful in folk medicine. This medicinal herb is one of the favorite plants of the peoples of Russia and the former Soviet Union.

The white water lily has rightfully won such love because of its many useful properties, thanks to which healers and herbalists, healers and sorcerers treat many diseases.

● Infusion of flowers in the villages of Russia is used as a diaphoretic antipyretic and to quench thirst in patients with fever. In addition, the peasants of the village use this infusion as a hypnotic and sedative for.

The active substances of the rhizomes of the white water lily eliminate inflammatory manifestations on. Since ancient times, people have been treating by applying crushed plant roots to the lower back, after which a burning sensation began, and the pain subsided.

● To calm down, traditional medicine recommends applying pieces of fresh white water lily root to the cheek opposite the diseased tooth, and the infusion of flowers has an analgesic effect in the form of baths; long-term boiled decoction (up to 2 hours) removes freckles, skin rashes and sunburn.

Traditional medicine recipes

● Boil three tablespoons of dried or fresh flowers of the plant several times with boiling water, wrap in gauze and apply to the sore spot to relieve pain.

● Infuse for half an hour three tablespoons of crushed leaves in half a liter of boiling water. Use as a compress externally to relieve inflammation on the skin.

● Let stand for twenty minutes two tablespoons in 500 ml of boiling water, then filter through two layers of gauze. This cosmetic product is used to get rid of freckles, sunburn and acne.

● Pass through a meat grinder a few roots of a white water lily and apply as a compress to the painful areas of the lower back with sciatica.

● We insist 20 minutes in half a liter of boiling water two tablespoons of flower petals, then filter. We take a tablespoon of infusion 3-4 r a day after meals as a sleeping pill and sedative.

● Treatment and neuroses:

- for 250 ml of boiling water 5 g of dried flowers, leave for 20 minutes. Two to three cups a day;

- boil for 15 minutes in a glass of boiling water 5 g of dried rhizome. 2-3 cups a day.

● Treatment of solar erythema, , and scratches on the skin:

- moisten a cloth (gauze) in the decoction described above, and apply to the problem area of ​​​​the skin 3 to 6 times a day.

Thank you, friend, for reading the article to the end. God bless you good health!