白睡莲 bai shui lian

Rhizomes repent, sparsely branched, but not stoloniferous. Leaf blade suborbicular, 10--25 cm in diam., papery, abaxially glabrous, scarcely peltate, base deeply cordate and basal lobes subparallel or spreading, margin entire. Flower floating, (7--) 10--20 cm in diam. Calyx insertion on receptacle circular; sepals lanceolate, 3--5(--8) cm, obscurely veined, caducous or decaying after anthesis. Petals (12--)20--25(--33), white, ovate-oblong, 3--5.5(--8) cm, transition to stamens gradual. Filament of inner stamens ± as wide as anther; connective apically unappendaged. Carpels completely united, walls between locules of ovary single. Stigma rays (8--)14--20(--25); carpellary appendages triangular-tapered. Fruit semiglobose, 2.5--3 cm. Seeds ellipsoid, 2--3(--5) mm, smooth. Fl. Jun--Aug. 2n = 56, 84, 112.

Cultivated and naturalized in ponds. Hebei, Shaanxi, Shandong, Zhejiang [Kashmir, Russia (Caucasus); Africa, SW Asia, Europe].

This species is cultivated in additional Chinese provinces.