Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea

Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea, is a water lily in the genus Nymphaea, a botanical variety of Nymphaea nouchali. It is an aquatic plant of freshwater lakes, pools and rivers, naturally found throughout most of the eastern half of Africa, as well as parts of southern Arabia, but has also been spread to other regions as an ornamental plant. It can tolerate the roots being in anoxic mud in nutritionally poor conditions, and can become a dominant plant in deeper water in such habitats. The underwater rhizomes are edible. It features prominently in Egyptian mythology and art, symbolizing the sun and rebirth and has been found in pharaohs’ tombs. It may have been used for aphrodisiac and religious purposes, including in rituals like Hathor’s Festival of Drunkenness. Recent research by UC Berkeley confirmed that the authentic Nymphaea caerulea is chemically distinct from many products sold online, which contain significantly less of the psychoactive alkaloid nuciferine and are misidentified ......read more on Wikipedia.