Nuphar advena (spatterdock or cow lily or yellow pond-lily) is a species of Nuphar native throughout the eastern United States and in some parts of Canada, such as Nova Scotia.[1] It is similar to the Eurasian species N. lutea, and is treated as a subspecies of it by some botanists,[2] though differing significantly in genetics.[1]
It is locally naturalized in Britain.[3]
Spatterdock was long used in traditional medicine, with the root applied to the skin and/or both the root and seeds eaten for a variety of conditions. The seeds are edible, and can be ground into flour. The root is edible too, but can prove to be incredibly bitter in some plants.[4]