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Nuphar japonicum

Common name:		Family:	Nymphaeaceae
Author:	DC.	Botanical references:	58, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - Japan.
Habitat:	Ponds, lakes and shallow streams throughout Japan[58].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	N. japonica[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Kawa-Hone [E], P'Ing [E], P'Ing P'Eng Ts'Ao [E], Shui Li Tzu [E], Shui Su [E],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Nymphaeales. Water-lily family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	China; Japan

Physical Characteristics

Perennial. It is hardy to zone 6. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Flies. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It can grow in water.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Pond.

Edible Uses

Root; Seed.

Root - cooked[105, 177]. Used as a famine food, when baked it tastes like sweet chestnuts[178]. The root probably needs to be steeped in water before use in order to remove a bitter flavour[K].
Seed[105, 177]. No more details are given but the seed is probably rich in starch and can be ground into a powder then used as a thickener in soups etc[K].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Birthing aid; Digestive; Women's complaints.

Digestive, women's complaints[174, 178]. Used before and after childbirth, it treats gynecopathy(menoxenia)[174].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

A water plant requiring a rich soil and a sunny position. It is best if grown in still water that is up to 75cm deep but it also tolerates slow moving water[200]. Succeeds in light shade[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse in pots submerged under 25mm of water. Prick out into individual pots as soon as the first true leaf appears and grow them on in water in a greenhouse for at least two years before planting them out in late spring.
The seed is collected by wrapping the developing seed head in a muslin bag to avoid the seed being lost. Harvest it 10 days after it sinks below the soil surface or as soon as it reappears[200].
Division in May. Each portion must have at least one eye. Submerge in pots in shallow water until established[56].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Nuphar japonica (a possible synonym).

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.

References for the family Nymphaeaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[56] Muhlberg. H. Complete Guide to Water Plants. E. P. Publishing Ltd. 1982 ISBN 0-7158-0789-7
Deals with a wide range of plants for temperate areas (and indoor aquaria) with quite a lot of information on cultivation techniques.

[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[174] Kariyone. T. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.
A good Japanese herbal.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[178] Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Nuphar+japonicum
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Nuphar+japonicum

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