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Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Nuphar lutea ssp. polysepala (Rocky mountain pond lily)
Loughmiller, Campbell and Lynn

Nuphar lutea ssp. polysepala

Nuphar lutea (L.) Sm. ssp. polysepala (Engelm.) E.O. Beal

Rocky Mountain Pond Lily, Pond Lily, Pond-lily

Nymphaeaceae (Water-Lily Family)

Synonym(s): Nuphar polysepala, Nymphaea polysepala, Nymphozanthus polysepalus

USDA Symbol: NULUP

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), AK (N), CAN (N)

Pond-lily is a large-leaved, aquatic perennial with bright yellow, waxy blossoms from 3-5 in. in diameter. The leathery, round to oval leaves may be 4-12 in. long. They are usually floating but are sometimes partially or wholly submersed.

This aquatic plant (and some others, including rice) gives off alcohol instead of carbon dioxide as it takes in oxygen. This species is also known as Wakas.

 

From the Image Gallery

20 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Fruit Type: Berry
Size Notes: Leaves and flowers usually float on the surface of the water.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red , Yellow
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug
Bloom Notes: Usually yellow, sometimes tinged red.

Distribution

USA: AK , AZ , CA , CO , ID , MT , NM , NV , OR , UT , WA , WY
Canada: BC
Native Distribution: AK to n. CA, e. to Alt. & CO
Native Habitat: Ponds; shallow lakes; sluggish streams

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Wet
Aquatic: yes
Soil Description: Shallow water.

Benefit

Use Wildlife: Excellent cover for trout and other fish. Ducks eat the seeds.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:AGCPAKAWCBEMPGPHIMWNCNEWMVE
Status: OBL OBL OBL OBL
This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Nuphar lutea ssp. polysepala in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Nuphar lutea ssp. polysepala in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Nuphar lutea ssp. polysepala

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-20
Research By: TWC Staff

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