Its botanical name is Nymphaea. This blue water lily has several edible parts. The young leaves and unopened flower buds can be boiled and served as a vegetable. The seeds, high in starch, protein, and oil, may be popped, parched, or ground into flour.
The main plant is submerged, with large floating, plate-like leaves and showy flowers in many different colours. The leaves have a radial notch from the circumference to the petiole (leaf stem) in the center.
Copyright DonaldChen Photography
