Witnessed by: Ayurveda · Unani

Blue water lily (Nymphaea nouchali), of the Nymphaeaceae family. Aquatic perennial from a tuberous rhizome, with floating notched leaves; native range: Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia — warm still waters. Globally recognized as utpala, nilotpala, kuvalaya in Sanskrit, nilkamal in Hindi, nilufar in Arabic, and blue star water lily, red-and-blue lily in English. The part used is flower; also rhizome and seed. Star-shaped violet-blue flowers opening by day, lightly fragrant; the flower and seed are sweetish, cool and softly astringent-bitter.

In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.

BLUE WATER LILY

IDENTITY

Name

Common: Blue water lily
Scientific name: Nymphaea nouchali Burm.f.
Family: Nymphaeaceae

Form

Part used: flower; also rhizome and seed

PROPERTIES

Nature

Taste

how the plant declares itself on the tongue

Ayurveda: astringent (kashaya) · sweet (madhura) · bitter (tikta)
Unani: astringent · sweet

Temperature

Ayurveda: cooling (sheeta)

Unani: cold (2nd degree)

convergence: both {witness_count} witnesses agree on a distinct coldness that soothes heat and bleeding

Affinity

where in the body it travels

Organs / channels

Unani: heart · brain · liver

PRACTICE

Virtue

Actions

Ayurveda: sheetala (refrigerant), raktapittahara (checks heat and bleeding), hridya (cardiac), trishnaghna (quenches thirst), varnya, stambhana (astringent-restraining)
Unani: muqawwi-e-qalb (cardiac tonic), muqawwi-e-dimagh (brain tonic), mubarrid (refrigerant), musakkin (sedative), qabiz (astringent)

Cautions

Contraindications: cold, damp and kapha conditions; sluggish digestion and constipation
Toxicity: non-toxic in customary use

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