Common name: Giant Waterlily
Nymphaea gigantea Hook. APNI* 
Description: Perennial with small tubers.
Leaves circular with a radial slit, to 75 cm diam., margins toothed with acute, regularly-spaced teeth to c. 5 mm long.
Flowers emergent, to 25 cm diam. and standing to 50 c. above the water surface. Sepals 4, green with a bluish tinge on the margins. Petals usually lilac-blue when young, gradually fading to light blue, almost white. Stamens not petaloid. Ovary globose; lobes numerous, short, entirely stigmatic.
Seeds red, maturing grey, carunculate and with rows of white hairs.
Distribution and occurrence: In permanent water with deep muddy substrate in trop. & subtrop.
NSW subdivisions: NC
Other Australian states: Qld N.T.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 1 (1990)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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