Nymphaea nouchali var. versicolor

'Nymphaea nouchali'' var. versicolor' is a variety of the water lily species Nymphaea nouchali'' Burm.f. naturally found in tropical Asia.

Vegetative characteristics
Nymphaea nouchali var. versicolor is an aquatic, perennial herb.

Generative characteristics
The flowers are diurnal. The seeds are ellipsoid-globose.

Publication
It was described as Nymphaea versicolor Sims by John Sims (1749-1831) in 1809. Later, it was included in the species Nymphaea nouchali Burm.f. as the variety Nymphaea nouchali var. versicolor (Sims) Guruge & Yakand. by Shashika Kumudumali Guruge and Deepthi Yakandawala in 2017. Its synonym Nymphaea malabarica Poir. was published even earlier by Jean Louis Marie Poiret in 1798.

Etymology
The varietal name versicolor, from the Latin verso meaning to keep turning and colorem meaning colour, means "variously coloured" or "changing colour".

Habitat
It occurs in rice fields, swamps, marshes, and ponds.