Nuphar polysepala - Yellow Pond-lily

• Family: Nymphaeaceae (Water-lily family) ^[E-flora]
• Other Names: Rocky Mountain pond-lily, spatterdock ^[E-flora]

Identification

"Nuphar polysepala is a PERENNIAL growing to 1.8 m (6ft). It is hardy to zone (UK) 4. It is in flower from Jul to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Flies, beetles." ^[PFAF]
"Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It can grow in water." ^[PFAF]

• General: "Perennial aquatic herb from a thick large rhizome; stems thick, fleshy, submerged or emersed, 1-2 m long." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
• Leaves: "Floating or submerged, long-stalked, the stalks 1-2 m long, appearing alternate from the rhizome, blades heart-shaped, 10-40 cm long, 6-30 cm wide, leathery." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
  
• Flowers: "Inflorescence of solitary, large, waxy, floating flowers on long stalks arising from the rhizome; petals yellow (with reddish or greenish tinges), 10-20, smaller than the sepals and the numerous yellow or reddish-purple stamens; sepals usually 6 or 9, 2.5-6 cm long, the outer greenish and shorter than the inner yellow ones, thick."^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
  
• Fruits: "Berry-like capsules, oval, leathery, rupturing irregularly; seeds numerous in a jelly-like seed mass, the seeds 4-5 mm long." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
  
• Notes: "Two species occur in BC:"
  
  • "1. Sepals usually 6, 2.5-3.5 cm long; stamens yellow; seeds about 5 mm long................... N. variegata (Durand) Beal"
    
  • "1. Sepals usually 9, (3) 3.5-6 cm long; stamens reddish or purplish; seeds about 4 mm long................... N. polysepala (Engelm.) Beal" ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

• Origin Status: Native ^[E-flora]
• Habitat / Range "Ponds and slow-moving streams in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; ssp. polysepala - common in BC south of 55 [degrees] N , rare in NW BC; ssp. variegata - infrequent in E BC; ssp. polysepala - N to AK, YT and NT and S to SD, CO and CA, ssp. variegata - N to YT and NT, E to NF and S to DE, OH, NE, MT and N ID." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]} "Ponds, shallow lakes and slow-flowing rivers[60, 187], from valleys to almost 3,000 metres in the mountains[212]. Western N. America - Alaska to California." ^[PFAF]

Hazards

• Rhizomes: "Many published sources state that the rhizomes of Nuphar species can be eaten boiled or roasted (cf. Yanovsky, 1936; Hultén, 1968). In our experience, those of N. polysepalum are not at all palatable, and we know of no records of Indigenous People within Canada having used this species. In fact, the Tanaina of Alaska believe it to be poisonous (Kari, 1987), and the Chilcotin of British Columbia know it only as beavers' food (Myers et al unpubl. notes, 1988). However, the rhizomes of N. variegatum are apparently more palatable, and there are several reports of their use in traditional diets." ^{[Turner, Kuhnlein]}

Edible Uses

• Root: "Root - raw or cooked[2, 161]. Boiled or baked[2, 85, 94]. The root can also be dried and ground into a flour[85]. The rather strong taste can be removed by soaking the root in water prior to use[85]. The N. American Indians used the roots in times of famine[212]." ^[PFAF] Thompson Food (Dried Food)Rhizomes sliced and dried like apples.^[UMD-Eth-2] Montana Indian Food (Cooking Agent) Thin slices of rootstocks dried, ground or pulverized into meal or gruel and used to thicken soups.^[UMD-Eth-5]
  
• Seed: "Seed - raw or cooked[2, 46, 61, 101, 161]. The fairly large seed can be dried and ground into a powder and then be used for making porridge or mixed with other flours for making bread[94, 172]. When roasted it resembles popcorn in flavour[212]." ^[PFAF] "The fruit pods contain numerous seeds which have been used in various ways." ^[Harrington]
  • Harvesting: "Late summer to early autumn. Seeds are the easiest pond lily product to harvest." ^[Schofield] "The globular seed vessels are full grown in summer and it is the practice of the Indians to gather them in July and August." ^[Saunders]
  • Preparation: "To prepare, collect the mature green pods and dry them for a few days. Then break apart and separate the seeds. Seeds can be steamed as a dinner vegetable, dried and ground for flour, cooked like oatmeal (one part seeds to two parts water) as a breakfast cereal, or served as mock popcorn."^[Schofield] "Try drying the large pods and pounding out the hard seeds which can then be further dried in the sun. The pods can also be broken open in a pan of water and the seeds separated from the sticky pulp by washing, then dried in the sun." ^[Harrington]
    
  • Parched: "In any case, when you need them you can parch the seeds in a frying pan over a slow fire, stirring the seeds as you would do in popping corn. They may pop open slightly, somewhat like unenthusiastic popcorn. These parched seeds are pounded or lightly ground and the hard shells removed by winnowing, shaking or by picking them out with the fingers. The kernels can be ground up to Blake a meal, or after additional parching can be eaten like peanuts." ^[Harrington] "These are commonly prepared for consumption by tossing them about in a frying pan over a fire until they swell and crack open somewhat as popcorn does, which they resemble in taste." ^[Saunders]
    
  • Meal: "The meal can be used in various ways. Norton (176) suggested using 2 cups of boiling water, stirring in 1 cup of the meal. Boil for 15 minutes stirring constantly and then simmering it with very low heat for an hour. This can be eaten hot like mush or cooled, sliced and fried in butter." ^[Harrington]
    
  • Storage: "Pods were dried to extract the seeds, which may then be kept indefinitely." ^[Saunders] "These seeds can be stored for winter use to be processed when needed." ^[Harrington]

Other Uses

• Alcohol: "In Turkey, pond lily flowers are distilled into a beverage called pufer cicegi. Coincidentally, the pond lily produces alcohol even without man's help. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers says 'when the mud in which the stems grow loses oxygen, a small amount of alcohol instead of carbon dioxide is produced.'" ^[Schofield]

Medicinal Uses

• Root: "The root is analgesic and antihaemorrhagic[257]. A decoction is taken in the treatment of pain in any part of the body, and for lung haemorrhages, TB etc[257]. A poultice made from the root is used in the treatment of any pain, rheumatic joints, sores etc[257]." ^[PFAF] Algonquin, Quebec Drug (Disinfectant)Poultice of mashed rhizomes applied to infections and swellings.^[UMD-Eth-3]Cree, Woodlands Drug (Analgesic)Poultice of grated rhizome, calamus, water or grease and sometime cow parsnip applied for headaches. Also used for sore joints, swellings and painful limbs. Poultice of roots with calamus and cow parsnip roots applied to mancos, worms in the flesh.^[UMD-Eth-4] Flathead Drug (Venereal Aid)Infusion of rootstocks taken for venereal disease. Poultice of baked rootstocks used for sores.^[UMD-Eth-5]
  • Harvesting: "Cowlily rootstocks are buried in the mud, often in water 4 to 5 feet deep. The Indians would dive for them and would bring up chunks as much as 2 feet long. They are usually collected in the fall, but would be available at any season when the water was not frozen solid." ^[Harrington]
  • Infusion: "The rootstock infusion (made by steeping two tablespoons chopped rhizome in one cup boiling water) is a traditional gargle for mouth and throat sores, and a douche for vaginal inflammation." ^[Schofield]
• Stems: Okanagan-Colville Drug (Toothache Remedy)Stems placed directly on the tooth for toothaches. ^[UMD-Eth-1]
  
• Leaves: Thompson Drug (Dermatological Aid)Powdered, dried leaves mixed with bear grease and used as an ointment for swellings, bites and infections. ^[UMD-Eth-2]
  
• Poultice: Leaves and rootstocks have been used as poultices for boils, ulcerous skin conditions, and swelling.^[Schofield]

Historical Use

"The yellow pond lily was a staple food of various Native groups. According to ethnobotanists, Turner and Szczawinski, the Klamath Indians of California harvested seed-pods from a marsh that contained 10,000 acres of pond lilies. The pods were sun dried and pounded to loosen the seeds. An alternative method was to bury pods in underground pits until they fermented into a mucilaginous mass; seeds were then washed free of the husk."^[Schofield]

Cultivation

"A water plant requiring a rich soil and a sunny position[1, 56]. It is best grown in still water up to 75cm deep but it also tolerates slow moving water[200]. Succeeds in light shade[200]. Plants are hardy to about -20^oC [187]." ^[PFAF]

Propagation

"Seed - sow as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse in pots submerged under 25mm of water. Prick out into individual pots as soon as the first true leaf appears and grow them on in water in a greenhouse for at least two years before planting them out in late spring. The seed is collected by wrapping the developing seed head in a muslin bag to avoid the seed being lost. Harvest it 10 days after it sinks below the soil surface or as soon as it reappears[200]. Division in May. Each portion must have at least one eye. Submerge in pots in shallow water until established[56]." ^[PFAF]

Synonyms

• Nuphar lutea subsp. polysepala (L.) Sm.^{[E-flora][PFAF]}
• Nuphar polysepalum ^[E-flora]
• Nymphaea polysepala (Engelm.) Greene^[E-flora]
• Nymphozanthus polysepalus (Engelm.) Fernald ^[E-flora]

References

• [E-flora] http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Nuphar polysepala&redblue=Both&lifeform=7 In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2014. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 12/21/2014]
• [PFAF]http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Nuphar+polysepala, Accessed Feb 7, 2015
• [UMD-Eth] Nuphar lutea ssp. polysepala (Engelm.) E.O. Beal, http://herb.umd.umich.edu, Accessed Feb 7, 2015
  1. Turner, Nancy J., R. Bouchard and Dorothy I.D. Kennedy 1980 Ethnobotany of the Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington. Victoria. British Columbia Provincial Museum (p. 110)
  2. Turner, Nancy J., Laurence C. Thompson and M. Terry Thompson et al. 1990 Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the Thompson Indians of British Columbia. Victoria. Royal British Columbia Museum (p. 235)
  3. Black, Meredith Jean 1980 Algonquin Ethnobotany: An Interpretation of Aboriginal Adaptation in South Western Quebec. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series Number 65 (p. 163)
  4. Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series (p. 46)
  5. Hart, Jeff 1992 Montana Native Plants and Early Peoples. Helena. Montana Historical Society Press (p. 33)