Nymphaea colorata

Nymphaea colorata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Order:	Nymphaeales
Family:	Nymphaeaceae
Genus:	Nymphaea
Species:	N. colorata
Binomial name
	Nymphaea colorata; , 1928

Nymphaea colorata is a water lily that is native to tropical East Africa. It was first described by A. Peter in 1928.

Description[]

Nymphaea colorata is day blooming and nonviviparous plant. Its flower has dark blue to violet color and consists of 4-5 sepals and 13-15 petals. The shape is cup-like with a diameter of 11–14 cm. The round leaves are green on the top and have bluish-violet underside. Their size is about 20–23 cm and their spread is 0.9 to 1.8m

Usage[]

Nymphaea colorata is used as an ornamental flower and has the advantage of having a long flowering period. In addition it even keeps flowering when the temperatures drops to 18 C. It has been used to create several cultivars and hybrids.

References[]

Perry D. Slocum: Waterlilies and Lotuses. Timber Press 2005, ISBN 0-88192-684-1 (restricted online version at Google Books)
Fact sheet for the Nymphaea colorata