Nymphea or water lily is a flower of extraordinary beauty that occurs naturally in the open spaces of the river. There are many legends about its origin. It is quite popular for decoration of artificial and natural water bodies and is used to decorate zoos, botanical gardens, amusement parks.
Tetrahedral water lily: description and photo
This is a perennial water flower on a thick long stem that raises the buds above the water column. Water lilies belong to the Nymphaeaceae family. All of them have a powerful root system that can be fixed in the bottom soil and stay there, despite the waves and currents that are sometimes observed in reservoirs. The tetrahedral type of water lily belongs to the smallest representatives of the Family. They have heart-shaped oval leaves, on the back side painted in pale greenish tones, and on the top - in rich green. Sometimes irregularly shaped dark spots are visible on leaf blades, but this is not a characteristic feature of the species.
White, small in diameter (up to 50 mm), water lily flowers have 12 oval-oblong petals with slightly pointed edges. The base of the cup is quadrangular. Leathery triangular-oval sepals, horizontally trimmed at the base, form a quadrangular pyramid together with the fruit. The core of each flower is filled with numerous yellow stamens. Tetrahedral water lilies bloom very gently and elegantly. The photo shows one of these cute flowers, as if in a mirror, reflected in the water surface of the reservoir. This plant reacts to sunlight by opening its buds towards noon and closing again in the evening. Water lilies bloom from June (in some regions from May) until frost. It is noteworthy that their graceful flowers have a pleasant aroma.
Home Breeding
Tetrahedral water lily, described above, feels great not only in natural, but also in artificial reservoirs. If all conditions are created for her, she can become an original decoration in the landscape design of a personal plot. Note that the color of its petals can be not only white, but also pink, lilac, purple, purple, beige and even blue. Thanks to the different colors of miniature buds, you can create unusual compositions.
Ground requirements:
- Enriched with organic matter.
- Heavy.
- Silty.
- Required with the addition of clay.
- Nutritious.
Soft water in which the flower will live should be slightly acidic. Growing a tetrahedral water lily cannot be called easy. This plant, bestowing beauty,demands more attention to himself. It can be propagated by seeds, but the result will be good only in open water systems. At home, it is better to use the method of dividing the rhizome. Each fragment must have at least one growth bud.
Planting delenki is required immediately, as the rhizome is irreversibly damaged by prolonged absence of moisture. It is advisable to first place a young plant in a container prepared in advance and filled with the necessary soil, but you can immediately put it into a pond. So that the roots that have not yet been fixed do not emerge, they are carefully fixed with small pebbles or screenings. At what depth to plant a tetrahedral water lily depends on the size of the seedling. It could be as little as 30 cm or even 1 meter.
A container with a flower must be kept in a pond from the first day of planting. As the water lily grows, its "house" is immersed deeper and deeper. In regions with cold winters, it is wiser not to transplant it from the container to the bottom, since in the fall the plant will have to be placed again in some kind of container and taken out to a cool room so that it does not die in the pond freezing to the bottom. It is important to know that tetrahedral water lilies love light, but they will also bloom in partial shade. But in the dense shade of flowering it is useless to wait. The second condition for successful cultivation is standing water. In extreme cases, small waves are allowed. But near fountains or other systems that create vibrations and rapid movement of water, they die.
Water lilies love top dressing. Lots of fertilizerapplied during the period of active growth. They "spoil" her with bone meal, which is combined with clay, roll balls from such a "dough" and place them near the roots.
Diseases and pests
The plant is disease resistant. In this regard, she rarely causes trouble. Of the pests, only aphids attack it. In this case, the flower is affected, but the plant itself does not suffer. A strong jet of water is used to fight. The use of insecticidal agents is undesirable, as aquatic microflora may be disturbed.
Interesting facts about water lilies
On our planet, this flowering plant is one of the oldest. There are many interesting legends about water lilies. According to one of them, a beautiful nymph turned into this flower, who fell in love with Hercules with all her heart, but he did not respond to her feelings. Water lilies are called mermaid flowers, water lilies, elf girlfriends, white hens. Many types of water lilies are used in medicine, since all parts of the plant contain alkaloids, flavonoids, starch, glycosides, and tannins. They are used for diarrhea, hepatitis, insomnia, headaches, bladder spasms, for the treatment of external skin injuries. Some peoples use water lilies in cooking. If their seeds are roasted, they will taste like coffee. This plant has rather powerful roots that are rich in starch. Some nations use them to make starch flour.
The leaves and flowers of water lilies are always clean, as they are covered with a special substance that repels anydirt.
Water lilies in a freshwater aquarium
Tetrahedral water lily is one of the delightful decorations of the aquarium. When created in the right conditions, namely, abundant light, the right nutrients of organic nature and water temperature, this miniature plant is able to delight aquarists with delicate flowers and beautiful leaves for many years. The plant is called a living filter, as it, together with shrimps, which are happy to hide in the foliage of the nymphaeum, purify the water from harmful substances. In November, the water lily is taken out of the aquarium and placed in a container, which must be placed in a cool place, since the plant begins a period of rest or hibernation. Return the plant to the aquarium in early spring.
Features of the tetrahedral water lily
Among the representatives of the Nymphaeaceae family, there are species that cannot survive in the cold and are winter-hardy. Such frost is not terrible, but at the same time their root system should not freeze through. Water lily tetrahedral is a winter-hardy species. The range of its natural growth is quite wide. It can be found almost throughout Russia, with the exception of the south and the Far North, as well as in North America, Canada, Finland, Japan, China.
In many regions, the lovely nymphs are endangered. If urgent measures are not taken to improve the ecosystems of water bodies, then in the near future, the complete disappearance of these wonderful flowers is possible. The tetrahedral water lily is also already listed in the Red Book. Fortunately,the catastrophic situation is still observed only with some species. The main cause of death is pollution of water bodies and extermination during the flowering period.
