The beautiful Shapla in our ponds, scientific name Nymphaea nouchali, is a water lily of genus Nymphaea.. It is the national flower of Bangladesh.
The stem or tuber of Nymphaea nouchali is cooked and eaten as a vegetable across the country. One of the delicacies is shorshe shapla, when it is cooked with mustard paste.
The monsoon plant has been used by our traditional medicine (Ayurvedic) to cure different diseases including indigestion, cardiovascular disorders, anti-hemorrhagic symptoms, stomach pain, cancer, menstruation control, astringent, diarrhoea, and diabetes. The antioxidant potential of the flower has been reported and attributed to the presence of phenolic compounds like hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives, hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, flavonolaglycons and their glycosides (Saleem, 2001).
Prof. Dr. Aleya Mowlah, Director of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Dhaka, says that shapla is a good source for calcium, and also iron. “Shapla is a good food source, it has a lot of water content and rich in fibre and minerals. It can give a good boost of energy to children.” says Mowlah.
This aquatic plant is native to the Indian subcontinent and is spread over the region up to Australia. It has been long valued as a garden flower in Thailand and Myanmar to decorate ponds and gardens. In its natural state N. nouchali is found in static or slow-flowing aquatic habitats of little to moderate depth. It is a day blooming non-viviparous plant with submerged roots and stems. Part of the leaves are submerged, while others float slightly above the surface. The leaves are round and green on top; they usually have a darker underside. It has a beautiful flower which is usually violet blue in color with reddish edges. Some varieties have white, purple, mauve or fuchsia-coloured flowers. The flower has 4-5 sepals and 13-15 petals that have an angular appearance making the flower look star-shaped from above.
Lotus-like, the shapla has petals that the onlookers can feast on.
-With The Independent input
