Nymphaea mexicana

Rhizomes vertical, to c. 30 cm long, c. 4 cm thick, with long horizontal stolons produced at apex; new plants produced at nodes of stolons. Leaves suborbicular with a radial sinus, to c. 25 cm diam., dark green and brown-blotched above, crimson-brown with blackish dots below, margins obscurely and finely sinuate. Flowers to c. 12 cm diam., borne up to 12 cm above the water on rigid pedicels, closing at night; sepals 4, green; petals c. 25, elliptic, acute, bright yellow, passing into petaloid stamens; stamens c. 50, yellow; ovary lobes large with stigmatic surface on lower 60%. Berry ovoid, c. 2.5 cm long; seeds (rarely formed in Australia) many, c. 5 mm long or more. Flowers mostly summer.