Taxon:  Nymphaea lotus L.



Summary
Genus:
Nymphaea
Subgenus:
Lotos
Family:
Nymphaeaceae
Nomen number:
25437
Place of publication:
Sp. pl. 1:511.  1753
Verified:
12/13/1999 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
2 (0  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  2. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  3. Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1961-. Flore du Gabon.
  4. Boudet, G. et al. 1986. Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Mali
  5. Boulos, L. 1995. Flora of Egypt checklist.
  6. Boulos, L. 1999-. Flora of Egypt
  7. Brunel, J. F. et al., eds. 1984. Flore analytique du Togo. Phanerogames
  8. Carrisso, L. W. et al., eds. 1937-. Conspectus florae angolensis.
  9. Catarino, L. et al. 2008. An annotated checklist of the vascular flora of Guinea-Bissau (West Africa). Blumea 53:93.
  10. Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959-. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae.
  11. Cufodontis, G. 1953-1972. Enumeratio plantarum aethiopiae: Spermatophyta.
  12. Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage
  13. Ervik, F. & J. T. Knudsen. 2003. Water lilies and scarabs: faithful partners for 100 million years? Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 80:539-543.
  14. Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
  15. Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
  16. Funk, V. et al. 2007. Checklist of the plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 55:1-584.
  17. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
  18. Hammel, B. E. et al., eds. 2003-. Manual de plantas de Costa Rica
  19. Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
  20. Hokche, O. et al. 2008. Nuevo catálogo de la flora vascular de Venezuela.
  21. Humbert, J.-H., ed. 1936-. Flore de Madagascar et des Comores.
  22. Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
  23. Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
  24. Khedr, A. H. A. & A. K. Hegazy. 1998. Ecology of the rampant weed Nymphaea lotus L. Willdenow in natural and ricefield habitats of the Nile delta, Egypt. Hydrobiologia 386:119-129.
  25. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
  26. Lisowski, S. 2009. Flore (Angiospermes) de la République de Guinée. Scripta Botanica Belgica vol. 41 & 42
  27. Mauve, A. A. 1967. Water-lilies in South Africa. Fauna & Fl. (Pretoria) 18:31-35.
  28. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
  29. Merxmüller, H., ed. 1966-1972. Prodromus einer flora von Sudwestafrika.
  30. Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
  31. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  32. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
  33. Robyns, W. et al., eds. 1948-1963. Flore du Congo belge et du Ruanda-Urundi
  34. Singh, N. P., eds. 2002-. Flora of Jammu & Kashmir Note: mentions
  35. Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
  36. Troupin, G. 1978-. Flore du Rwanda.
  37. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
  38. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1993. Flora europaea, ed. 2.
  39. Verdcourt, B. 1989. A note on Nymphaea zenkeri Gilg (Nymphaeaceae). Kew Bull. 44:484.
  40. Verdcourt, B. 1989. The typification of Nymphaea lotus L. Kew Bull. 44:179-180.
  41. Wanderley, M. G. L., ed. 2001-. Flora fanerogâmica do Estado de São Paulo
  42. Wiersema, J. H. 1982. Distributional records for Nymphaea lotus (Nymphaeaceae) in the Western Hemisphere. Sida 9:230-234.
  43. Wiersema, J. H. 1997. Nymphaea. In: FNA Editorial Committee, Flora of North America.
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
EnglishEgyptian lotus  1Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
EnglishEgyptian water-lily  1Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
Englishtiger lotus  1Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1961-. Flore du Gabon.
Englishwhite Egyptian lotus  1Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage
Englishwhite lotus  1Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
Englishwhite water-lily  1McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Arabicbashneen abiad  2Boulos, L. 1999-. Flora of Egypt
Frenchlotier d'Egypte  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Frenchlotus tigré  2Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1961-. Flore du Gabon.
Frenchnénuphar blanc  2Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1961-. Flore du Gabon.
Germanägyptische Lotosblume  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Germanweiße ägyptische Seerose  2Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage
Germanweißer ägyptischer Lotus  2Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage
Portuguesegolfão-vermelho  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanishloto  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Swedishegyptisk vitlotus  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.
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaTanzania  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaUganda  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaEthiopia  Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSomalia  Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaEgypt  Boulos, L. 1995. Flora of Egypt checklist.
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  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
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 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.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaCôte D'Ivoire  Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGambia  Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGhana  Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGuinea  Lisowski, S. 2009. Flore (Angiospermes) de la République de Guinée. Scripta Botanica Belgica vol. 41 & 42
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGuinea-Bissau  Catarino, L. et al. 2008. An annotated checklist of the vascular flora of Guinea-Bissau (West Africa). Blumea 53:93.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaLiberia  Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaMali  Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaNigeria  Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaSenegal  Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaSierra Leone  Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaTogo  Brunel, J. F. et al., eds. 1984. Flore analytique du Togo. Phanerogames
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaBurundi  Robyns, W. et al., eds. 1948-1963. Flore du Congo belge et du Ruanda-Urundi
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaCameroon  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaDemocratic Republic of the Congo  Robyns, W. et al., eds. 1948-1963. Flore du Congo belge et du Ruanda-Urundi
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaEquatorial GuineaRegión ContinentalRio MuniKeay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaGabon  Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1961-. Flore du Gabon.
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaRwanda  Robyns, W. et al., eds. 1948-1963. Flore du Congo belge et du Ruanda-Urundi
1NativeAfricaWestern Indian OceanMadagascar  Humbert, J.-H., ed. 1936-. Flore de Madagascar et des Comores.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeRomania n.w. (hot springs)Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1993. Flora europaea, ed. 2.
2Cultivated    also cult. 
4NaturalizedNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesFlorida Wiersema, J. H. 1982. Distributional records for Nymphaea lotus (Nymphaeaceae) in the Western Hemisphere. Sida 9:230-234.
4NaturalizedNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesLouisiana Wiersema, J. H. 1982. Distributional records for Nymphaea lotus (Nymphaeaceae) in the Western Hemisphere. Sida 9:230-234.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilSanta Catarina Wiersema, J. H. 1982. Distributional records for Nymphaea lotus (Nymphaeaceae) in the Western Hemisphere. Sida 9:230-234.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilSão Paulo Wanderley, M. G. L., ed. 2001-. Flora fanerogâmica do Estado de São Paulo
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaCosta Rica  Hammel, B. E. et al., eds. 2003-. Manual de plantas de Costa Rica
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaEl Salvador  Hammel, B. E. et al., eds. 2003-. Manual de plantas de Costa Rica
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaPanama  Wiersema, J. H. 1982. Distributional records for Nymphaea lotus (Nymphaeaceae) in the Western Hemisphere. Sida 9:230-234.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaNorthern South AmericaGuyana  Wiersema, J. H. 1982. Distributional records for Nymphaea lotus (Nymphaeaceae) in the Western Hemisphere. Sida 9:230-234.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaNorthern South AmericaVenezuelaZulia Wiersema, J. H. 1982. Distributional records for Nymphaea lotus (Nymphaeaceae) in the Western Hemisphere. Sida 9:230-234.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaColombia  Wiersema, J. H. 1982. Distributional records for Nymphaea lotus (Nymphaeaceae) in the Western Hemisphere. Sida 9:230-234.
Native
Africa
  • NORTHERN AFRICA: Egypt
  • NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Ethiopia, Somalia
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
  • WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea [Región Continental (Rio Muni)], Rwanda
  • WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Côte D'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo
  • SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  • SOUTHERN AFRICA: Botswana, Eswatini, South Africa [Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga]
  • WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Madagascar
Europe
  • SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Romania (n.w. (hot springs))
Cultivated (also cult.)
Naturalized
Northern America
  • SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Florida, Louisiana]
Southern America
  • CENTRAL AMERICA: Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador
  • NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Guyana, Venezuela [Zulia]
  • BRAZIL: Brazil [Santa Catarina, São Paulo]
  • WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Colombia

Reference(s)
  1. Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1961-. Flore du Gabon.
  2. Boulos, L. 1995. Flora of Egypt checklist.
  3. Brunel, J. F. et al., eds. 1984. Flore analytique du Togo. Phanerogames
  4. Carrisso, L. W. et al., eds. 1937-. Conspectus florae angolensis.
  5. Catarino, L. et al. 2008. An annotated checklist of the vascular flora of Guinea-Bissau (West Africa). Blumea 53:93.
  6. Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
  7. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
  8. Hammel, B. E. et al., eds. 2003-. Manual de plantas de Costa Rica
  9. Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
  10. Humbert, J.-H., ed. 1936-. Flore de Madagascar et des Comores.
  11. Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
  12. Lisowski, S. 2009. Flore (Angiospermes) de la République de Guinée. Scripta Botanica Belgica vol. 41 & 42
  13. Robyns, W. et al., eds. 1948-1963. Flore du Congo belge et du Ruanda-Urundi
  14. Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
  15. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
  16. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1993. Flora europaea, ed. 2.
  17. Wanderley, M. G. L., ed. 2001-. Flora fanerogâmica do Estado de São Paulo
  18. Wiersema, J. H. 1982. Distributional records for Nymphaea lotus (Nymphaeaceae) in the Western Hemisphere. Sida 9:230-234.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalornamental Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Medicinesfolklore McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Weed  Khedr, A. H. A. & A. K. Hegazy. 1998. Ecology of the rampant weed Nymphaea lotus L. Willdenow in natural and ricefield habitats of the Nile delta, Egypt. Hydrobiologia 386:119-129.
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=25437. Accessed 12 May 2026.