Water Snowflake
Nymphoides indica
Photographed on ponds used for aquaculture, Eldoret, Kenya. July 2014.
This is a strictly aquatic plant growing in shallow water of ponds or swamps. The large heart-shaped leaves float on the water surface. White, five-petal flowers are borne on a stalk rising a few centimeters above the water surface. The petals have a unique fringe of hairs. N. indica is pantropical, i.e. it is found in tropical and subtropical fresh water around the world. Water-snowflake is a name acquired through the aquarium trade.