Nuphar sagittifolia, also known as Arrowleaf Pond-lily, Cape Fear spatterdock, or Narrow-leaved Spatterdock, is a perennial, rhizomatous, aquatic herb in the family Nymphaeaceae with unique narrowly lanceolate leaves known only from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
Nuphar sagittifolia is a perennial, rhizomatous, aquatic, heterophyllous herb with 2âÂÂ2.5 cm wide rhizomes. Both floating and submerged leaves are present, but submerged leaves are more common. The crisped, membranous submerged leaves are larger than the floating leaves. The glabrous, green, linear to lanceolate floating leaf is 15âÂÂ30(âÂÂ50) cm long, and 5âÂÂ10(âÂÂ11.5) cm wide. The subterete petiole is 1.5âÂÂ7 mm wide.
The yellow, 2-3 cm wide flower has a glabrous, 3âÂÂ8 mm wide peduncle. The flower has 6 sepals. The yellow petals are thick and oblong. The gynoecium consists of 11âÂÂ15 carpels. The almost entire, green, 14âÂÂ18 mm wide stigmatic disk has 11âÂÂ15 stigmatic rays. The ovoid, green, 3âÂÂ3.5 cm long, and 2âÂÂ3 cm wide fruit bears 4âÂÂ5 mm long, and 3 mm wide seeds. Flowering and fruiting occurs from April to October.
It was first published as Nymphaea sagittifolia by Thomas Walter in 1788. It was placed into the genus Nuphar as Nuphar sagittifolia published by Frederick Traugott Pursh in 1813. It is placed in the section Nuphar sect. Astylus.
The specific epithet sagittifolia means having arrow-shaped leaves.
It is aquatic, found in lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers in the coastal plains in up to 2.1 m deep, acidic water.
The NatureServe conservation status is T2 Imperiled. In Virginia, it is threatened. In North Carolina, it is placed on the Rare Plant Watch List. In South Carolina, it is also placed on the list of rare species.