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Euryale ferox

File:Junicho-Gata_lagoon_Euryale_feroxe_habitat_07.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Euryale ferox

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Also known as Fox nut, prickly waterlily, Gorgon plant, prickly lotus, Onibasu

species of plant

OverviewAI-generated

*Euryale ferox*, commonly known as the Prickly Water Lily, is a species of plant in the family Nymphaeaceae. It belongs to the genus *Euryale* and is classified within the order Nymphaeales, class Magnoliopsida, and phylum Tracheophyta. The species is described as a freshwater plant and has uses as a medicinal plant and food. Its taxonomic authority is cited as Salisb. ex K. D. Koenig & Sims, and it was described by the source Gujin Tushu Jicheng.

The taxon range includes China, Shanghai, Fujian, and Guangdong. Other records indicate presence in Japan, Russia, India, and the United States. The IUCN Red List status for *Euryale ferox* is Least Concern, a designation from 2011. The species is accepted in taxonomic databases and has been observed in various collections, including institutions such as MICH, RSA, CM, A, and NY.

Synthesized by Vinony from 48 facts across 9 sources: Wikidata, GBIF, iNaturalist, Gbif Occ, Plants of the World, IUCN Red List, WoRMS, iDigBio, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Species

Least Concern

Prickly Waterlily

SPECIES

  1. KingdomPlantae
  2. PhylumTracheophyta
  3. ClassMagnoliopsida
  4. OrderNymphaeales
  5. FamilyNymphaeaceae
Habitatfreshwater
Native toAssam, Bangladesh, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Hainan, India, Inner Mongolia, Japan, Korea, Manchuria, Myanmar
Observations350
Observations recorded429

Common Name: shau tsze shih

via GBIF · IUCN · Kew POWO

Museum specimens

Specimen records
86
With media
58
Family
Nymphaeaceae
Collections
MICH, RSA, CM, A, NY, MO
Recorded in
Japan, Russia, India, China, United States, Russian Federation, Brasil

~6 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Euryale ferox, commonly known as prickly waterlily, makhānā, or Gorgon plant, is a species of water lily found in southern and eastern Asia, and the only extant member of the genus Euryale. The edible seeds, called fox nuts or gorgon nuts, are dried and eaten predominantly in Asia.

The plant is cultivated for its seeds in lowland ponds in India, China, and Japan. The Indian state of Bihar produces 90% of the world's fox nuts. The Chinese have cultivated the plant for centuries. In India, more than 96,000 hectares of Bihar were set aside for cultivation of Euryale in 1990–1991. In the northern and western parts of India, the seeds are often roasted or fried like popcorn.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Euryale ferox” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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