White Water-lily - Nymphaea alba

Leaves circular in outline, the basal lobes parallel or diverging, all floating. Flowers white with a male of pale yellow anthers 10 to 20 cm held at water level and with 20 or more petals. Fragrant and with rounded buds.

Coloured Water-lily (N x marliacea) is very similar, but petals with at least a tinge of colour

Pure white flowers

Photograph of the flowering plant.  This cannot be verified from the leaves, due to similar hybrid species, Nymphaea x marliacea

Lakes and ponds, slow moving rivers and still water rooting in muddy bottoms to a depth of 3 metres.

July and August.

Perennial, sometimes planted.

Widespread but occasional in Britain.

Occasional in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 15 of the 617 tetrads.

In the current checklist (Jeeves 2011), it is listed as subspecies alba; Alien (Neophyte); occasional.