Reproduction of the African Water Lily

Sunlight Opens

• For an African water lily to reproduce or pollinate, the flower needs to be open. The lily's petals only open in the day time when there is sunlight. When it does open, a fluid fills the center of the flower that completely covers the female parts. The flower closes by late afternoon and remains closed all night.

Pollination

• When an insect lands on the flower, the petal design forces the insect to become immersed in the fluid. If this insect has pollen attached to it, the pollen becomes dislodged from the insect and falls to the bottom of the fluid, coming in contact with the flower's female part, thus fertilizing the flower. The flower closes at night, thus protecting the pollen inside. The next morning when the flower opens, the pollen is released.

After Pollination

• Within a few days, the flower's stem coils up so that it can submerge the head of the flower underwater. Fruit then begins to develop in the form of a spongy berry containing several seeds. Upon ripening, up to 2,000 seeds can be released from the fruit. The seeds float on the water's surface and are spread via water currents or birds that eat them. The seeds sink into the mud below when they become saturated with water. This is where they germinate.

Leaves and Stalks

• The plant also has large, round green leaves that surround the flower. The leaves typically have a cleft and are attached to bendable underwater stalks that originate from rhizomes (a horizontal stem from which roots grow). Additionally, the leaves have a waxy top that repels water, whereas the bottom of the leaves typically stick to the water by sheer surface tension.