53. Nymphoea alba, Linn

The medicinal plant Nymphoea alba is a member of the Berberidaceae (barberry) family. This page includes its habitat, botanical descption, medicinal uses (eg., Ayurveda), chemical constituents and history of use in modern and ancient India.

Index in Flora of British India (Hooker): 1. 114.

Vernacular:—Brimposh, nilofar; Kamud; (Kashmir). Pandharen Kamal (Bombay).

Habitat:—Kashmir lake, alt. 5,300 ft. Bombay tanks and wayside still water-courses.

Botanical description:—An aquatic creeper.

Root-stock: creeping under water.

Leaves: floating on water-surface, cordate, quite entire, 5-10 in. diam., suborbiculate, lobes contiguous.

Flowers: a foot or 6 in. above water, white on a green peduncle, expanding at sunrise and closing at sunset.

Sepals: 4 linear or ovate-oblong; nerves reticulate.

Petals: 10, outer linear-oblong, equalling the sepals.

Anthers: without appendages.

Stigmatic: rays about 16, with cylindric appendages.

Pollen: echinate. Seeds minute, numerous, buried in a mucilaginous pulp, edible.

Fruit: a spongy berry, opening under water.

Parts used:—The Root-stock, flowers and fruit.

Medicinal uses:—The mucilaginous and somewhat acrid root and stock are administered in some countries for dysentery. According to O’Shaughnessy it is astringent and slightly narcotic. Its flowers are reputed to be anti-aphrodisiac. An infusion of the flower and fruit is given in diarrhoea and as a diaphoretic. (Stewart).