Aquatic Flowers _ Ornaments of Water Kingdom

Aqua Flowers, Aquatic Beauty!

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also called angiosperms). The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs. Flowers give rise to fruit and seeds. Many flowers have evolved to be attractive to animals, so as to cause them to be vectors for the transfer of pollen.

In addition to facilitating the reproduction of flowering plants, flowers have long been admired and used by humans to beautify their environment, but also as objects of romance, ritual, religion, medicine and as a source of food.

Here are some Aquatic Flowers:

1. Amazon Lily

Victoria amazonica or Amazon Lily is a species of flowering plant, the largest of the Nymphaeaceae family of water lilies. The species has very large leaves, up to 3 m in diameter that float on the water's surface on a submerged stalk, 7–8 m in length. The species was once called Victoria regia after Queen Victoria, but the name was superseded. 

Victoria amazonica is native to the shallow waters of the Amazon River basin, such as oxbow lakes and bayous. It is depicted in the Guyanese coat of arms. The flowers are white the first night they are open and become pink the second night. They are up to 40 cm in diameter, and are pollinated by beetles.

2. Water Lily

Nymphaea nouchali or Water Lily, commonly known as the Red and blue water lily, Blue star water lily,Star lotus, or by its synonym Nymphaea stellata, is a water lily of genus Nymphaea. This aquatic plant is native to the Indian Subcontinent area.

In its natural state the Red and blue water-lily is found in static or slow-flowing aquatic habitats of little to moderate depth. Nymphaea nouchali is the National flower of Bangladesh (where it is known as "Shapla") .It was spread to other countries already in ancient times and has been long valued as a garden flower in Thailand and Myanmar to decorate ponds and gardens.

3. Water Hyacinth

One of the fastest growing plants known, water hyacinth reproduces primarily by way of runners or stolons, which eventually form daughter plants. It also produces large quantities of seeds, and these are viable up to thirty years. The common water hyacinth’s (Eichhornia crassipes) are vigorous growers known to double their population in two weeks.

The leaves are 10–20 cm across, and float above the water surface. They have long, spongy and bulbous stalks. The feathery, freely hanging roots are purple-black. An erect stalk supports a single spike of 8-15 conspicuously attractive flowers, mostly lavender to pink in colour with six petals. When not in bloom, water hyacinth may be mistaken for frog's-bit.

4. Lotus

Nelumbo nucifera, known by a number of names including Indian Lotus, Sacred Lotus, Bean of India, Padma or simply Lotus native to Tropical Asia and Queensland, Australia. It is commonly cultivated in water gardens. The white and pink lotuses are national flowers of India and Vietnam, respectively.

The roots of Nelumbo nucifera are planted in the soil of the pond or river bottom, while the leaves float on top of the water surface or are held well above it. The flowers are usually found on thick stems rising several centimeters above the leaves. The plant normally grows up to a height of about 150 cm and a horizontal spread of up to 3 meters, but some unverified reports place the height as high as over 5 meters. The leaves may be as large as 60 cm in diameter, while the showy flowers can be up to 20 cm in diameter.

5. Bog Arum

Calla (Bog Arum, Marsh Calla) is a genus of flowering plant in the family Araceae, containing the single species Calla palustris. It is native to cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, in central, eastern and northern Europe (France and Norway eastward), northern Asia and northern North America (Alaska, Canada, northeastern contiguous United States).

It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant growing in bogs and ponds. The leaves are rounded to heart-shaped, 6–12 cm long on a 10–20 cm petiole, and 4–12 cm broad. The greenish-yellow inflorescence is produced on a spandex about 4–6 cm long, enclosed in a white spate. The fruit is a cluster of red berries, each berry containing several seeds.

6. Water Smartweed

Persicaria amphibia is a species of flowering plant in the knotweed family known by several common names, including water knotweed, water smartweed, and amphibious bistort. It is native to much of North America and Eurasia, but it is known on most continents as an introduced species and sometimes a noxious weed. It grows in many types of wet habitat, such as ponds, streams, and marshes

The plant produces a thick stem from its rhizome. The stem may creep, float, or grow erect, rooting at stem nodes that come in contact with moist substrate. Stems are known to reach 3 meters long in aquatic individuals. The stems are ribbed and may be hairless to quite hairy in texture. Leaves are lance-shaped or take various other shapes and are borne on petioles. They may be over 30 centimeters in length.

7. Water Morning Glory

Ipomoea aquatica is a semi-aquatic tropical plant grown as a leaf vegetable. It is known in English as Water Spinach, Water Morning Glory, Water Convolvulus, or by the more ambiguous names "Chinese spinach" and "swamp cabbage". It has many other names in other languages, such as "Phak bung" in Thai and "Kangkung" in Malay and Indonesian. It is found throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

Ipomoea aquatica grows in water or on moist soil. Its stems are 2–3 meters (7–10 ft) or more long, rooting at the nodes, and they are hollow and can float. The leaves vary from typically sagittate (arrow-head-shaped) to lanceolate, 5–15 centimeters (2–6 in) long and 2–8 centimeters (0.8–3 in) broad. The flowers are trumpet-shaped, 3–5 centimeters (1–2 in) diameter, usually white in color with a mauve centre. The flowers can form seed pods which can be used for planting.

8. Water-Pepper

Water-pepper or Water pepper (Persicaria hydropiper) is a plant of the family Polygonaceae. It grows in damp places and shallow water. It is a cosmopolitan plant, found in Australia, New Zealand, temperate Asia, Europe, and North America. It has some use as a spice because of its pungent flavour.

The water-pepper has several active ingredients. The plant contains an essential oil (0.5%) which consists of monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids:α-pinene, β-pinene, 1,4-cineol, fenchone, α-humulene, β-caryophyllene, .Carboxylic acids (cinnamic, valeric and caproic acid) and their esters were present in traces. The composition depends strongly on genetic factors.

9. Water Poppy

Limnocharitaceae is the botanical name of a family of flowering plants in the monocot order Alismatales. It is commonly known as the water poppy family. They are small, perennial, aquatic herbs, native to the tropics, but adventives or naturalized in the subtropics as a result of cultivation.

Limnocharitaceae consists of three genera, and these, in turn comprise eight species. Some of the species are closely related and, consequently, hard to identify. Butomopsis is monospecific (B. latifolia) and indigenous to tropical Africa, Southeast Asia, and northern Australia.  It has become a weed in Indonesia. It is sometimes sold as an ornamental for aquariums. Hydrocleys

Has five species. . Hydrocleys nymphoides is common in water gardens, and probably for this reason, it is persistent in the wild in Florida and Texas.

10. Spring Cress

The Bulbous Cress, Bittercress, or Spring Cress (Cardamine bulbosa) is a perennial plant native to eastern North America.

This plant grows in moist soils of bottomland woods and wet meadows. In late spring and early summer, white flowers are produced well above the foliage.

11. California Bulrush

Schoeneoplectus californicus is a species of sedge known by the common names California bulrush and giant bulrush. It is also sometimes called "tule", but the closely related Schoenoplectus acutus is the more correct owner of that name.

Schoeneoplectus californicus is a rhizome water plant found in marshy areas from southern and western North America to South America and on Pacific islands including some of those in the Hawaiian and Cook chains. It has tall, thin, dark green stems which are usually triangular in cross-section and woolly, bristly tan or brown flowers in panicle inflorescences.

12. Water Snowflake

Nymphoides also is a genus of aquatic flowering plants in the family Menyanthaceae. The genus name refers to their resemblance to the water lily Nymphaea. Nymphoides are aquatic plants with submerged roots and floating leaves that hold the small flowers above the water surface. Flowers are sympetalous, most often divided into five lobes (petals).

The petals are either yellow or white, and may be adorned with lateral wings or covered in small hairs. The inflorescence consists of either an umbellate cluster of flowers or a lax raceme, with internodes occurring between generally paired flowers.

13. Water Fringe

Nymphoides peltata (syn. Villarsia nymphaeoides, Fringed Water-lily, Yellow Floating-heart, Water Fringe) is an aquatic plant of the family Menyanthaceae native to Eurasia. It has cordate floating leaves that support a lax inflorescence of yellow flowers with fringed petal margins. The fruit is a capsule bearing many flattened seeds with stiff marginal hairs.

The plants are commonly sold for use in ornamental water gardens. Outside their native range, however, they can escape cultivation and become nuisance noxious weeds.

14. Lady's Smock

Cardamine pratensis (Cuckoo Flower or Lady's Smock), is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, native throughout most of Europe and Western Asia. Cardamine pratensis is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 40-60 cm tall, with pinnate leaves 5-12 cm long with 3-15 leaflets, each leaflet about 1 cm long. The flowers are produced on a spike 10-30 cm long, each flower 1-2 cm diameter with four pale pink (rarely white) petals. It grows best close to water.

It is grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, and has become naturalised in North America as a result of cultivation. In some European countries, including parts of Germany, the plant is now under threat. It is a food plant for the orange tip butterfly and makes a valuable addition to any garden which aims at attracting wildlife. It was once used as a substitute for Watercress. Article source: Wikipedia

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Most Bizarre Flowers in the World

Most Bizarre Flowers in the World

While flowers typically attract to human and insects alike with their enchanting beauty and luscious fragrance, some rather perverse stinking flowers entice flesh and fecal-loving insects to their foul-smelling blooms in the guise of meat by their colors and fetid scents.



1. Rafflesia arnoldii

The largest flower in the world is the rare blood-red Rafflesia arnoldii known as largest individual flower on earth which can grow to 3 feet (90 centimeters) across and weigh up to 24 pounds (11 kilos), found growing on the jungle floor in the rainforests of Indonesia, Malaya, Borneo, Sumatra, and the Philippines.

2. Amorphophallus

      Or, Titan Arum

The world’s tallest flower which is actually a cluster of flowers is the Titan Arum (Amorphophallus titanium), about 10 feet (3 meters) tall fully-grown, also commonly referred to as the “corpse flower.”The enormous flower grows from a corm of up to 20 inches (50 centimeters) diameter, weighing over 110 pounds (50 kilos). After a dormant period of several months, a bud will develop, growing at a rate of 1.5 to 8 inches (4 to 20) centimeters a day.

3. Stapelia

      Or, Star Flower

Stapelia are small, low growing, spineless, cactus-like succulent carrion flower plants. The flowers are usually flesh-colored, hairy to varying degrees and emit the odor of rotten flesh. Blooms in some species can grow very large, notably Stapelia gigantea which can reach 16 inches (41 centimeters) in diameter.

4. Hydnora africana

Hydnora africana is a is parasitic plant on the roots of the Euphorbiaceae species that grows underground in arid deserts of South Africa, except for a flower that grows above ground.The fleshy colored flower emerges above the sandy ground which emits an odor of feces to attract its natural pollinators, dung beetles, and carrion beetles in droves.

The flowers act as traps for a brief period retaining the beetles that enter, then releases them when the flower is fully opened.

5. Helicodiceros muscivorus

      Or, Dead horse arum lily

Helicodiceros muscivorus, also known as the Dead horse arum lily is an ornamental plant native to the northwestern Mediterranean region that reproduces the stench of rotting meat, attracting carrion-seeking blowflies which act as pollinators.

One of a rare group of thermogenic plants, the Dead Horse Arum can raise its temperature by thermogenesis which helps to lure flies into the plant to contact its pollen.

6. Dracunculus vulgaris

      Or, Voodoo lily

Sometimes known as Voodoo lily, the dracunculus vulgaris is a species of aroid in the genus Dracunculus. The species is distinguished by a large purple spathe and spadix, and gives off a very unpleasant smell reminiscent of a carcass to attract its pollinators of Lucilia flies, amongst others.

The plant traps them in its own inflorescence for 1 night and the next day it releases them with a load of pollen. It was introduced to the U.S. from another country or countries and is currently found in the states of Oregon, California and Tennessee as well as the country of Puerto Rico. The natural habitats of this strange flower are in Europe around the Balkans

7. Lysichiton americanus

      Or, Western Skunk Cabbage

Western Skunk Cabbage it’s called Yellow Skunk Cabbage or Swamp Lantern too which  known as such due to the malodorous, distinctive “skunky” odor it emits which permeates the area where it grows, and can be detected even in old, dried specimens. The foul odor attracts its pollinators, scavenging flies and beetles. It’s found in swamps and wet woods, along streams and in other wet areas of the Pacific Northwest, U.S.

8. Symplocarpus foetidus

      Or, Eastern Skunk Cabbage

Eastern Skunk Cabbage, Clumpfoot Cabbage, Foetid Pothos, Meadow Cabbage, Polecat Weed, or Swamp Cabbage, commonly known as simply Skunk Cabbage, is a low growing, foul smelling plant that prefers wetlands.

The large leaves grow 16 to 22 inches (40 to 55 centimeters) long and 12 to 16 inches (30 to 40 centimeters) broad. It flowers early in the year while there is still snow and ice on the ground when only the flowers are visible above the mud, with the stems buried below and the leaves emerging later.

9. Arum maculatum

      Or, Jack in the Pulpit

Arum maculatum is a common woodland plant species of the Araceae family known by numerous common names including Wild arum, Lords and Ladies, Jack in the Pulpit, Devils and Angels, Cows and Bulls, Cuckoo-Pint, Adam and Eve, Bobbins, Naked Boys, Starch-Root and Wake Robin.

Its purple spotted leaves appear in the spring followed by the flowers borne on a poker shaped inflorescence purple spadix which is partially enclosed in a pale green spathe or leaf-like hood. The flowers are hidden from sight, clustered at the base of the spadix with a ring of female flowers at the bottom and a ring of male flowers above them.

10. Aristolochia

Aristolochia is a large plant genus with over 500 species. Collectively known as birthworts, pipevines or Dutchman’s pipes, they’re the namesake of the family Aristolochiaceae. They are widespread and occur in the most diverse climates. Some species, like A. utriformis and A. westlandii, are threatened with extinction.

Many species of Aristolochia are food for larvae of Lepidoptera, namely swallowtail butterflies. These become unpalatable to most predators by eating the plants.

11. Aristolochia clematitis

          Or, Birthwort

Aristolochia clematitis — known as (European) Birthwort — is a herbaceous plant in the Aristolochiaceae family, native to Europe and occasionally found established outside of its native range as a relic of cultivation. The leaves are heart shaped and the flowers are pale yellow and tubular in form.

This poisonous plant was formerly used as a medicinal plant — recent study suggests that it’s the cause for thousands of kidney failures in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Croatia where the plant is unintentionally consumed through flour.

12. Aristolochia gigantean

          Or, Brazilian Dutchman’s Pipe

Aristolochia gigantea — it’s also known as Brazilian Dutchman’s Pipe or Giant Pelican Flower — is an ornamental plant native to Brazil, typical of Bahia and Minas Gerais vegetation.

Many species have ingenious insect traps and malodorous, often nauseating stenches when the blossoms first open. One of the largest and most bizarre flowers on earth is the Brazilian Dutchman’s pipe.

13. Aristolochia grandiflora

          Or, Pelican Flower

Aristolochia grandiflora or Pelican Flower is a deciduous vine with enormous flowers that emit an odor that humans consider unpleasant but is attractive to insects such as butterflies. They confine their visiting flies until the male flowers are mature.

These flowers have a specialized pollination mechanism — the inner part of the perianth tube is covered with hairs, acting as a fly-trap which eventually withers to release the fly, covered with pollen. The plant is native to the Caribbean, and has been introduced to Florida in the United States

14. Ceropegias

Ceropegias are an interesting group of plants that have many common names including lantern flower, parasol flower, parachute flower, bushman’s pipe, string of hearts, snake creeper, wine-glass vine, rosary vine, necklace vine and condom flower which produces striking, malodorous blossoms shaped like a wine glass, often with glistening cilia to attract flies.

The flowers have a tubular corolla with 5 petals most often fused at the tips, forming an umbrella-like canopy, a cage, or appendage-like antennae. The flower tubes are lined with small hairs that point downward to form a trap for small flies that are attracted by their odor.

By this article are described shortly, some of the largest and most bizarre flowers in the world.

Sources: BBC and Wikipedia

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