Taxon:  Nymphaea caerulea Savigny



Summary
Genus:
Nymphaea
Subgenus:
Brachyceras
Family:
Nymphaeaceae
Nomen number:
25433
Place of publication:
Décade Egypt. 1:71(-74).  1798 (Ann. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. 1:366, t.25.  1802)
Comment:
  • non Nymphaea caerulea auct. W. Afr. (= N. guineensis Schumach.)
  • relationship to Asian N. nouchali needs further study
Verified:
12/13/1999 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
1 (0  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Agami, M. 1980. The mysterious disappearance of the blue water lily. Israel Land Nat. 5:154-156. Note: extinct in Israel
  2. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  3. Arnold, T. H. & B. C. De Wet, eds. 1993. Plants of southern Africa: names and distribution. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa no. 62
  4. Boulos, L. 1995. Flora of Egypt checklist.
  5. Boulos, L. 1999-. Flora of Egypt
  6. Carrisso, L. W. et al., eds. 1937-. Conspectus florae angolensis.
  7. Cufodontis, G. 1953-1972. Enumeratio plantarum aethiopiae: Spermatophyta.
  8. Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage
  9. Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
  10. Fossen, T. & Ø. M. Andersen. 1999. Delphinidin 3-galloylgalactosides from blue flowers of Nymphaea caerulea. Phytochemistry 50:1185-1188.
  11. Hammel, B. E. et al., eds. 2003-. Manual de plantas de Costa Rica
  12. Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
  13. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
  14. Mauve, A. A. 1967. Water-lilies in South Africa. Fauna & Fl. (Pretoria) 18:31-35.
  15. Merxmüller, H., ed. 1966-1972. Prodromus einer flora von Sudwestafrika.
  16. Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
  17. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  18. Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia. Note: = Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea (Savigny) Verdc.
  19. Tur, N. M. 2003. Nymphaea elegans (Nymphaeaceae) nueva cita para la flora argentina. Hickenia 3(38-47):167-170. Note: a misidentified Nymphaea caerulea Savigny
  20. Tur, N. M. 2006. Sobre la presencia de Nymphaea caerulea (Nymphaeaceae) en la Argentina. Hickenia 3(67):278.
  21. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: = Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea (Savigny) Verdc.
  22. Wanderley, M. G. L., ed. 2001-. Flora fanerogâmica do Estado de São Paulo
  23. Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
  24. Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishblue Egyptian lotus  1Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage
Englishblue lotus  1Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
EnglishEgyptian lotus  1Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
Arabicbashneen azraq  2Boulos, L. 1999-. Flora of Egypt
Germanblaue ägyptische Seerose  2Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage
Germanblauer ägyptischer Lotus  2Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage
Swedishegyptisk blålotus  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaKenya  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: = Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea (Savigny) Verdc.
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaTanzania  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: = Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea (Savigny) Verdc.
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaUganda  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: = Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea (Savigny) Verdc.
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaEritrea  Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaEthiopia n.Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSomalia  Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia. Note: = Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea (Savigny) Verdc.
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSudan  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: = Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea (Savigny) Verdc.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaEgypt  Boulos, L. 1999-. Flora of Egypt
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaAngola  Carrisso, L. W. et al., eds. 1937-. Conspectus florae angolensis.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMalawi  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMozambique  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZambia  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZimbabwe  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaBotswana  Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaEswatini  Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaNamibia  Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaEastern Cape Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaFree State Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaGauteng Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaKwaZulu-Natal Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaLimpopo Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaMpumalanga Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaNorth-West Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaDemocratic Republic of the Congo  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: = Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea (Savigny) Verdc.
1NativeAsia-TemperateArabian PeninsulaYemen  Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaIsrael extinctZohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.
2Cultivated    also cult. 
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilSão Paulo Wanderley, M. G. L., ed. 2001-. Flora fanerogâmica do Estado de São Paulo
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaSouthern South AmericaArgentinaMisiones Tur, N. M. 2006. Sobre la presencia de Nymphaea caerulea (Nymphaeaceae) en la Argentina. Hickenia 3(67):278.
Native
Africa
  • NORTHERN AFRICA: Egypt
  • NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Eritrea, Ethiopia (n.), Sudan, Somalia
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
  • WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  • SOUTHERN AFRICA: Botswana, Namibia, Eswatini, South Africa [Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West]
Asia-Temperate
  • ARABIAN PENINSULA: Yemen
  • WESTERN ASIA: Israel (extinct)
Cultivated (also cult.)
Naturalized
Southern America
  • BRAZIL: Brazil [São Paulo]
  • SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina [Misiones]

Reference(s)
  1. Boulos, L. 1999-. Flora of Egypt
  2. Carrisso, L. W. et al., eds. 1937-. Conspectus florae angolensis.
  3. Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
  4. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
  5. Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
  6. Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia. Note: = Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea (Savigny) Verdc.
  7. Tur, N. M. 2006. Sobre la presencia de Nymphaea caerulea (Nymphaeaceae) en la Argentina. Hickenia 3(67):278.
  8. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: = Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea (Savigny) Verdc.
  9. Wanderley, M. G. L., ed. 2001-. Flora fanerogâmica do Estado de São Paulo
  10. Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
  11. Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalornamental Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Environmentalornamental Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=25433. Accessed 12 May 2026.