Description
WATER LILY RHIZOME (NYMPHAEA ALBA)
Water lilies have rhizomes in their spreading root system. Water lilies have spreading rhizomes and roots that anchor the plant deep in the mud of still, fresh surface water. The roots take up nutrients, as well as small reserves of water.Water lilies spread by producing tuber-like rhizomes. These are generally underground stems that act as organs helping the plant to store water and nutrients. The rhizomes bear leafy shoots which can be split apart to make new plants.
Besides being pleasing to the eye, water lilies do a great deal to maintain the well- being of the ponds they inhabit. For one, they provide shade to keep the water temperature down during the hot summer months. By blocking out a lot of sunlight, the lilies help to keep the algae growth down.
American white water lily contains chemicals called tannins that probably help treat diarrhea by reducing swelling (inflammation). The tannins might also help kill some germs.The bulb and root are used to make medicine. People take American white water lily by mouth for diarrhea and apply it to the body for vaginal conditions, diseases of the throat and mouth, and for burns and boils, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
