Greek Nymphaea — waterlily, -oides — like, referring to the similarity of plants in this genus to those in the genus Nymphaea.
Annual or perennial stoloniferous herbs. Leaves floating, roundish, prominently cordate, with long or short stalks. Flower clusters just behind the leaf or on separate stalks, floating or raised above the water. Flowers opening in the morning, becoming lacklustre by afternoon, yellow or white. Fruit capsule splitting irregularly, submerged when mature.
Care is needed to ensure that cultivated plants do not become weedy.
Seed or division of stoloniferous plants.
Leaves floating.
About 30 cosmopolitan species. Australia has 17 endemic species.
Source: (2002). Menyanthaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.