Family: Waterlily (Lymphaeaceae)

Description: Aquatic, rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial with submeged, floating or emergent leaves. Submerged leaves resemble an open head of lettuce. Floating and emergent leaves are 8-12 inches long and 6-8 inches wide, deeply notched at the base. The flowers are solitary, with 6-9 yellow sepals that form a cup. The true petals are small and scalelike, crowded among the stamens.

Blooms: All year

Found: Aquatic habitats throughout the eastern US as far west as Kansas.

Note: Spatterdock is an aggressive colonizer, sometimes covering the entire water surface of roadside canals. The seeds are important food source for waterfowl and the leaves provide cover for fish and other aquatic creatures.