Yellow Pond-Lily
Nuphar Polysepalum, Engelm. Water-Lily Family
Leaves.—Six to twelve inches long; three fourths as wide; obtuse; deeply cleft at base; floating or erect. Flowers.—Floating; three to five inches across. Sepals.—Eight to twelve; petaloid; bright yellow, sometimes greenish without. Petals.—Twelve to eighteen; small; about equaling the stamens, and resembling them. Stamens.—Numerous; red; recurved in age; pollen yellow. Ovary.—Large; eight- to twenty-celled. Stigma button-shaped; many-rayed; four lines to an inch across. Hab.—From Colorado to Central California, and northward to Alaska.
Most of us are familiar with the yellow water-lily, and have seen its pretty shield-shaped leaves floating upon the surface of some glassy pond, starred with its large, golden flowers. The latter are sometimes five inches across and quite showy. Sometimes entire marshes are covered with the plants. The large seeds are very nutritious, and form an important article of diet among the northern Indians.