General:
Perennial aquatic herb from a thick large rhizome; stems thick, fleshy, submerged or emersed, 1-2 m long.

Leaves:
Floating or submerged, long-stalked, the stalks 1-2 m long, appearing alternate from the rhizome, blades heart-shaped, 10-40 cm long, 6-30 cm wide, leathery.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of solitary, large, waxy, floating flowers on long stalks arising from the rhizome; petals yellow (with reddish or greenish tinges), 10-20, smaller than the sepals and the numerous yellow or reddish-purple stamens; sepals usually 6 or 9, 2.5-6 cm long, the outer greenish and shorter than the inner yellow ones, thick.

Fruits:
Berry-like capsules, oval, leathery, rupturing irregularly; seeds numerous in a jelly-like seed mass, the seeds 4-5 mm long.

Notes:
Two species occur in BC:

1. Sepals usually 6, 2.5-3.5 cm long; stamens yellow; seeds about 5 mm long................... N. variegata (Durand) Beal

1. Sepals usually 9, (3) 3.5-6 cm long; stamens reddish or purplish; seeds about 4 mm long................... N. polysepala (Engelm.) Beal

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Nuphar advena var. fraterna (Mill. & Standl.) Standl.
Nuphar lutea subsp. variegata (Durand) E.O. Beal
Nuphar variegatum
Nymphaea fraterna G.S. Mill. & Standl.