Nymphaea

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A genus of plants long known as Nuphar, of the order Nymphæaceæ and the suborder Nymphææ, distinguished by the numerous carpels being wholly immersed in and consolidated with the thick receptacle. The numerous yellow stamens and stamen-like petals are densely imbricated around the ovary; the few sepals are thick and roundish, making a rather globular flower. The leaves are peltate with a deep sinus, floating or emersed, and, with the one-flowered scapes, arise from a perennial rootstock creeping in bottom-mud. See water-lily, beaverroot, brandy-bottle, clote. 2, pond-lily, and spatter-dock.
2. n. A genus including the white water-lilies: long known under this name, now rightly replaced by the older name Castalia. It belongs to the order Nymphæaceæ. and the suborder Nymphææ, and is marked by the carpels being more or less immersed in the receptacle, the numerous petals and the stamens into which they gradually pass becoming inwardly more and more adnate to the receptacle about the carpels. See water-lily, nenuphar, pond-lily, and lotus. (See also introrse.)
3. n. Plural of nymphæum.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Bot.) A genus of aquatic plants having showy flowers (white, blue, pink, or yellow, often fragrant), including the white water lily and the Egyptia lotus.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the type genus of the family Nymphaeaceae; any of a variety of water lilies