Speaking of Nature: Like floating jewels: A single blossom on a fragrant water lily blooms for only three days

We find ourselves in the middle of “deep summer.” Air conditioners are running at full tilt and many outdoor activities are restricted to the early-morning hours before things get really uncomfortable. I know that I frequently find myself thinking about jumping into a pond in the middle of a hot summer afternoon. Pools of dark water that hide secrets from us are very alluring when the temperature rises and the idea of quietly floating in a lake or pond is something that will resonate with many of you. As it happens, I was lucky enough to get the chance to do just that when visiting my brother up in Maine.

But even better (from a photographer’s point of view) was the rare and wonderful opportunity for me to enjoy a low-speed boat tour of a pristine northern lake. My brother has a nice boat with a quiet motor and ample seating. This provided a stable platform for me to be able to focus on photography, rather than not tipping over into the water. He also has an electric trolling motor, which allowed for nearly silent movement in water that was only 2-to-3 feet deep, and this allowed us to get up close and personal with one of the jewels of any freshwater environment, the fragrant water lily (Nymphaea odorata).

The sheer beauty of this particular species was captured and shared with the world by the Impressionist painter, Claude Monet, in a series of about 250 pieces that focused on these gorgeous flowers. The one that sticks out in my mind is a painting called, “Waterlily Pond Green Harmony,” which he painted in 1899. A gracefully arched footbridge arches over a small pond filled with water lily flowers and slender willow stems hang vertically in the background. It is a true masterpiece.

The lilies in Monet’s painting were pink, but here in North American we have our own snowy-white species that is simply gorgeous. Even the species’ scientific name, “Nymphaea odorata” is beautiful. The genus name is derived from the Greek word, “nymphe,” which means “water nymph.” The species name, “odorata” is from the Latin word for “fragrant.” All together, you have the “fragrant water nymph.”

But there is more to this species that meets the eye. A denizen of shallow waters in quiet settings, the fragrant water lily is an astounding example of evolution’s ability to solve serious problems. One obvious question that you might have is, “How do the roots of this plant get any oxygen?” Well, it turns out that the leaves and slender stems of the plant are filled with a special kind of tissue known as aerenchyma. Basically, this is a spongy tissue filled with interconnected air chambers behaves like a snorkel. Sunlight and wind can cause pressure differences in the tissues and oxygenated air is pumped down to the roots, which can be down as far as 8 feet below the surface.

And then there is the astounding nature of each flower. It turns out that a single blossom on a fragrant water lily blooms for only three days. On the first day, the flower is only partially open and it creates a cup filled with sweet fluid (nectar). This attracts flies and beetles that will pollinate the flower, but the interesting thing is that the pollen has to come from a different flower.

The stigmata (the female portions of a flower that receive pollen) are only receptive for the first day of the flower’s life. After that, the anthers (the male parts that produce bright yellow pollen) will release pollen to any insects that visit the flowers, but this pollen cannot fertilize the flower. Hence, there is a mechanism that encourages cross pollination and the genetic diversity that comes with it.

After three days of blooming, the flowers are pulled below the water’s surface where there is more safety for the seeds to develop. I say more safety, because many different animals consume water lilies. Moose, deer, beavers, muskrats and even the occasional porcupine will happily munch away on the roots of the plants (also known as “rhyiomes”). Waterfowl feed upon the seeds and this is also the way that water lilies can move to new places. Humans have even discovered some medicinal uses of various parts of the water lily plant, but space prevents me from going down that particular road.

Finally, I want to direct your attention to the insect perched on the left-hand side of the flower in today’s photo. I am quite confident that this is a member of the “spreadwing” family. I am also fairly confident that this a member of the “Lestes” genus, which is a group known as the “pond spreadwings.” After that, however, my confidence starts to wane. I have a wonderful field guide in my private library titled, “Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East,” by Dennis Paulson, and in this book is repeated the basic phrase: “Frustratingly similar to several others.” The spreadwing in the photo is prominently silhouetted against the background, but most of the insect is in the shade of the flower and key field marks are hidden.

However, there were many other beautiful dragonflies and damselflies out on the water that day and I have one photo that I will share with you next week. It is a photo that is perfect for species identification because it shows a pair of damselflies joined together in the process of mating and laying eggs. Only the piloting skills of my brother and that silent trolling motor of his made the photo possible for me. All I had to do was drive nine hours during a holiday weekend to get it.

Bill Danielson has been a professional writer and nature photographer for 28 years. He has worked for the National Park Service, the US Forest Service, the Nature Conservancy and the Massachusetts State Parks and he currently teaches high school biology and physics. For more in formation visit his website at www.speakingofnature.com, or go to Speaking of Nature on Facebook.