Nymphaea hastifolia

Nymphaea hastifolia is a species of waterlily native to the Northern Territory, and Western Australia.

Vegetative characteristics
Nymphaea hastifolia is an annual or perennial aquatic herb  with globose rhizomes. The elliptical floating leaves with sinuate margins are 20 cm long, and 15 cm wide. The adaxial leaf surface is green, but the abaxial leaf surface displays purple colouration.

Generative characteristics
The emergent flowers are white. The seeds are ellipsoid or globoid.

Generative reproduction
Flowering occurs from March to June.

Publication
It was first described by Karel Domin in 1925.

Type specimen
The type specimen was collected by Schultz in Port Darwin, Australia.

Placement within Nymphaea
It is placed in Nymphaea subgenus Anecphya.

Etymology
The specific epithet hastifolia is derived from hasta, meaning spear, and folium, meaning leaf. It means having spear-shaped leaves.

Conservation
It is not threatened.

Habitat
It occurs in lagoons,  peat bogs, seasonally flooded grassland, ephemeral billabongs, creeks, and rivers.

Use
The rhizome, roots, and seeds of Nymphaea hastifolia are used as food.