Hardy Waterlily (Nymphaea) ‘Almost Black’. Nymphaea is a genus of aquatic plants in the family Nymphaeaceae. The common name, shared with some other genera in the same family, is water-lily or waterlily. The name Nymphaea comes from the Greek term “nymph”, meaning supernatural feminine beings associated with springs. The genus Nymphaea is closely related to Nuphar, another genus commonly called “lotus”. Differences are in size (petals vs. sepals). It contains the active alkaloids and is a sedative and an aphrodisiac/anaphrodisiac. Although roots and stalks are used in traditional herbal medicine along with the flower, the petals and other flower parts are the most potent. Image is captured in 12 bit RAW and processed in Adobe RGB color space.