Waterlily
The Waterlily is a perennial plant that often forms dense colonies. The leaves arise on flexible stalks from large thick rhizomes. The leaves are more round than heart-shaped, bright green, and 6-12″ in diameter with the slit about 1/3 the length of the leaf. Leaves usually float on the water’s surface. Flowers arise on separate stalks, and have brilliant varied colored petals with yellow centers. The flowers may float or stick above the water and each opens in the morning and closes in the afternoon. The flowers are very fragrant. Waterlily can spread from seeds or the rhizomes. Watershield
Watershield is a perennial plant with relatively small, floating oval to elliptical leaves (to 5″ in diameter) with no slit. Watershield has a distinctive gelatinous slime on the underside of the leaves and coating the stems. Leaves are green above, while the underside of leaves and stems are reddish-purple. Stems attach at the center of the leaves. Flowers are small (1/2″-3/4″), rise above the surface, are dull-reddish in color and consist of 3 to 4 sepals and petals. Watershield tends to be found in soft, acidic waters and can form large colonies.
American lotus is a perennial plant that is often confused with water lilies. Leaves are simple, round, bluish-green in color, up to 2′ in diameter, and attached to the stem in center. Leaves are flat if floating or conical if emergent and can stand above the waters surface as high as 3 1/2′ on the rigid stem. Flowers are large (to 10″ across) yellowish-white to yellow with more than 20 petals. The center of the flower, the seed structure, is cone-shaped (or like an inverted shower-head) and has openings in which the seeds develop. Lotus can form large colonies and spreads by seeds and large fleshy rhizomes. |
