Water lily

It is a plant of the aquatic family Nymphaceae. These are found in fresh, still waters throughout the warm and temperate regions and often cultivated. Some can be raised easily from the seed. They may be grown in tanks or even in half-barrels as well as in ponds. The water-lilies are handsome plants having more or less orbicular leaves either floating or immersed and solitary flowers. The fruit is indehiscent, fleshy and like a large berry filled with seeds. The seeds have small embryo and abundant starchy perisperm and enclosed in palpy arils. When the seeds are ripe, pods break open irregularly. The seeds are borne to the surface of the water by the buoyant arils where they repel each other and float far and wide by currents of water and wind. After one or two hours, the aril contracts and breaks loose and lets the seeds to drop to the bottom of the pond. The stem is eaten as a vegetable which contains some vitamins and minerals. This plant is not so useful for healing purposes.

Benefit and uses of Water lily.

• Mashed green water lily roots were used as poultice for swollen limbs; the roots for problems of the womb, digestive problems, a rinse for mouth sores; leaves and flowers as cooling compresses.
• The water lily roots of the White pond lily were used in a Chippewa medicine for a sore mouth.
• A tea made from the roots is used in the treatment of 'sexual irritability', blood diseases, chills.
• Water lily root is poulticed and applied to swellings, inflammations, cuts.
• A tea made of white lily roots is a good gargle for irritation and inflammation of the mouth or throat.
• Alkaloids in the root are reportedly hypotensive, antispasmodic, cardiac, tonic and vasoconstrictor.
• A tea made from the roots is used in the treatment of TB, chronic bronchial complaints, diarrhoea, dysentery, gastrointestinal inflammation, gonorrhoea, vaginal discharge, inflamed glands, mouth sores and to stop bleeding.