Nuphar polysepala. Synonym: Nuphar lutea subspecies polysepala. (Water Lily, Spatterdock)
Nymphaeaceae (Water-Lily Family)

Sub-alpine. Ponds. Summer.
Near Andrews Lake, June 23, 2012.

These showy plants are quite uncommon in the Four Corners area, existing in just a few subalpine ponds in several counties. Weber and Welsh both comment on the unusual distribution of the plants. Weber says: "Someone ought to investigate the occurrence of pond lilies to determine what factors are responsible for restricting them to particular ponds while other apparently suitable sites are uninhabited".

Welsh says: "Position of plants in lakes and ponds is evidently determined by water depth, the rhizomes surviving in water of a certain depth only, forming a ring-like zone between the margin and the deeper center of the body of water. Possibly the shoreward limit is controlled by the depth to which the ponds freeze in winter".

James E. Smith named this genus in 1809 and George Engelmann described and named this species in 1865 from a collection made by Ferdinand Hayden along a tributary of the Columbia River in 1860. Weber indicates that the genus name "is said to be of Arabic origin".

Sub-alpine. Ponds. Summer.
Near Andrews Lake, June 23, 2012.

Leaves float on the surface from petioles than can be more than 40" long. Leathery leaf blades are 3-10" long and wide. Five to twelve sepals are yellow, sometimes (as here) tinged with green (or red). Petals are yellow to purple, smaller than the sepals and about equal to the stamens.

Range map © John Kartesz,
Floristic Synthesis of North America

State Color Key

Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state

County Color Key

Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Native species, but adventive in state
Eradicated
Questionable presence

Range map for Nuphar polysepala