A nymphaeum or a water lily is a flower of extraordinary beauty, found in natural conditions on river open spaces. There are many legends about its origin. It is quite popular for decorating artificial and natural ponds and is used to decorate zoos, botanical gardens, and leisure parks.
Four-sided water lily: description and photo
This is a perennial water flower on a thick long leg that raises the buds above the water column. Water lilies belong to the Nymphaeaceae Family. All of them have a powerful root system that can be fixed in the bottom soil and stay there, despite the waves and currents, which are sometimes observed in water bodies. The type of water lily tetrahedral belongs to the smallest representatives of the Family. They have heart-oval leaves, painted on the back side in pale greenish tones, and on the top - saturated green. Sometimes dark spots of irregular shape are noticeable on the leaf blades, but this is not a characteristic sign of the species.
White, small in diameter (up to 50 mm), flowers of water lilies have 12 oval-oblong petals with slightly pointed edges. The base of the calyx is quadrangular. Leathery triangular-oval sepals, horizontally cut at the base, form a quadrangular pyramid with the fruit. The core of each flower is filled with numerous yellow stamens. Quadrangular water lilies look very tender and elegant. The photo shows one of such lovely flowers, as if in a mirror, reflected in the surface of a pond. This plant responds to sunlight, opening its buds closer to noon, and closing again in the evening. Water lilies bloom from June (in some regions from May) to frost. It is noteworthy that their graceful flowers have a pleasant aroma.
Home breeding
A quadrangular water lily, the description of which is given above, feels great not only in natural, but also in artificial reservoirs. If she creates all the conditions, she can become an original decoration in the landscape design of a personal plot. Note that the color of its petals can be not only white, but also pink, lilac, purple, lilac, beige and even blue. Due to the different colors of miniature buds, you can create unusual compositions.
Ground requirements:
- Enriched with organic matter.
- Heavy.
- Silted.
- Necessarily with the addition of clay.
- Nutritious.
The soft water in which the flower will live must be slightly acidic. Growing a tetrahedral water lily cannot be called easy. This plant, giving beauty, requires special attention to its person. It can be propagated by seeds, but the result will be good only in open water systems. At home, it is better to use the method of division of the rhizome. At least one growth bud must remain on each fragment.
Planting a delenka is required immediately, since the rhizome is irreversibly damaged in the absence of moisture for a long time. It is advisable to first place the young plant in a container prepared in advance and filled with the right soil, but it can also be immediately in the pond. So that the still not fixed roots do not float, they are carefully fixed with small pebbles or screenings. At what depth to plant a tetrahedral water lily depends on the size of the seedling. It can be only 30 cm or even 1 meter.
A container with a flower should be kept in a pond from the first day of planting. As the water lilies grow, her "house" is immersed deeper. In regions with cold winters, it is more reasonable not to transfer it from the container to the bottom, since in the fall the plant will have to be placed in some container again and taken out in a cool room so that it does not die in the pond freezing to the bottom. It is important to know that tetrahedral water lilies love light, but they will also bloom in partial shade. But in the thick shade of flowering, waiting is useless. The second condition for successful cultivation is stagnant water. In extreme cases, small waves are allowed. But near fountains or other systems that create vibrations and the rapid movement of water, they die.
Water lilies love top dressing. A large number of fertilizers are applied during the period of active growth. They "pamper" it with bone meal, which is combined with clay, roll balls from such a "dough" and place them near the roots.
Diseases and Pests
The plant is resistant to disease. In this regard, it rarely causes trouble. Of the pests, only aphids attack it. In this case, the flower is affected, but the plant itself does not suffer. To fight use a strong stream of water. The use of insecticides is undesirable, since a violation of the aquatic microflora is possible.
Interesting facts about water lilies
On our planet, this flowering plant is one of the oldest. There are many interesting legends about water lilies. According to one of them, a beautiful nymph turned into this flower, who fell in love with Hercules with all her heart, but he did not answer her feelings. Water lilies are called mermaid flowers, water lilies, elf girlfriends, white hens. Many types of water lilies are used in medicine, since all parts of the plant contain alkaloids, flavonoids, starch, glycosides, tannins. They are used for diarrhea, hepatitis, insomnia, headaches, spasms of the bladder, for the treatment of external skin injuries. Some people use water lilies for cooking. If their seeds are fried, then to taste they will resemble coffee. This plant has quite powerful roots that are rich in starch. Some peoples use them to produce starch flour.
The leaves and flowers of water lilies are always clean, as they are covered with a special substance that repels any dirt.
Water lilies in a freshwater aquarium
A tetrahedral water lily is one of the delightful decorations of the aquarium. When creating the appropriate conditions, namely, plentiful light, the necessary nutrients of an organic nature and water temperature, this miniature plant is able to delight aquarists with delicate flowers and beautiful leaves for many years. The plant is called a living filter, since it, along with shrimps, which are happy to hide in the leaves of nymphaea, purify water from harmful substances. In November, the water lily is taken out of the aquarium and placed in a container, which must be put in a cool place, since the plant has a period of rest or hibernation. Return the plant to the aquarium in early spring.
