Ganihami Pond Prickly Water Lilies

蟹喰池のオニバス

Prickly water lilies are a type of annual floating plant that belong to the water lily family.
They grow in eutrophic lakes, marshes, and ponds in Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. It is one of the rare cleistogamous flowers which fertilizes its own flower buds underwater, and in around September the small purple flowers bloom. When fully grown, the fully grown leaves can be over 2m long and covered in sharp thorns.

The seeds do not germinate every year, but they have been reported to germinate even after years of dormancy,
and the germination conditions are related closely to the growing environment. Prickly water lilies have unique genetic properties for each growing habitat, but their numbers have greatly decreased due to deterioration of environments where they grow. In 1989 they were registered as an endangered species in the Red Data Book. They are a natural monument of the nearby town.

Period: From August to September

Address (Japanese)	811-4342　福岡県遠賀郡遠賀町大字尾崎
Address	Ozaki, Onga-cho
Telephone Number	093-293-8233（遠賀町まちづくり課）
Contact	Onga Town Development Department
Car Park	None
Access	A 10-minute walk from ”Ganihami” bus stop of the Onga-cho Community Bus Shimazu/Ozaki line.