Common name: Prickly Water Lily, Gorgon Plant, Fox nut • Manipuri: Thangjing
Botanical name: Euryale ferox Family: Nymphaeaceae (Waterlily family)
Prickly Water Lily or Gorgon Plant, is a floating plant with large (4 to 5 feet across), deeply veined, flat leaves. The leaves are "quilted" and have thorns on the surface as well as on the royal purple reverse. The day blooming cup-shaped flowers usually open under water but on rare occasions open above water. They are deep violet with an outer row of white petals. Sharp spines cover the surface of the sepals and stems and also both sides of the leaves. The seeds are edible and considered a delicacy in Manipur.
| Photographed in Imphal, Manipur. |
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