The Nymphaeaceae are characterized by:

• Habit:  aquatic herbs with submersed rhizomes' stems with latex
• Leaves:  alternate; usually simple, peltate; floating or emersed; estipulate
• Plants:  synoecious
• Inflorescence:  solitary, on long peduncles
• Flowers:  perfect, actinomorphic
• Sepals:  4-many, distinct, often petaloid
• Petals:  0, 4-5, often many; distinct or basally connate, the innermost often staminodial
• Stamens:  many, distinct, spiralled
• Ovary:  carpels 5-many, connate; ovary superior to inferior with 5-many locules and many laminar ovules; styles absent or very short; stigmas distinct
• Fruit:  spongy berry