Alli, neelofar in Hindi, is the blue star water lily of Indian tanks and ponds. It is the national flower of both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and its flowers are offered at temples across South Asia. In Bengal and Bangladesh the flower stalks are cooked as a vegetable and the seeds are eaten. It is often confused with lotus, tamarai, Nelumbo nucifera, which is a different family.
- Botanical name
- Nymphaea nouchali Burm.f.
- Family
- Nymphaeaceae
- Tamil
- Alli
- Hindi
- Neelofar
- Sanskrit
- Nīlotpala
- Parts used
- Flower, Rhizome in lists
- Habit
- Day-blooming blue, pink or white water lily of village tanks
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Alli
It is a perennial aquatic plant growing from a rhizome rooted in pond mud.
The leaves float flat on the water, round with a deep slit to the stalk, wavy or toothed edges, and often purplish undersides.
The star-shaped flowers, in blue, white or pink, rise just above the water and open in the morning and close by afternoon.
After flowering the stalk bends and pulls the fruit underwater, where it ripens and releases seeds in jelly.
Lotus leaves stand above the water without a slit, and lotus has a flat, shower-head seed pod.
Traditional use of Alli
Kitchen
In Bengal and Bangladesh shapla flower stalks are peeled and cooked in curries, and the seeds are roasted or popped.
Bengali food practice
Ritual
The flowers are offered in temples and appear in Tamil Sangam poetry, where alli stands for water landscapes.
Tamil and South Asian ritual practice
Ayurveda
Utpala, the water lily, is listed in Ayurvedic texts as a cooling flower.
Ayurvedic texts
Modern notes on Alli
Botanists group several South Asian water lilies, including the plant once called Nymphaea stellata, under this species.
The flowers contain alkaloids and flavonoids; studies on them are mostly laboratory work.
Village tanks that hold water lilies also recharge groundwater, which is why their loss matters.
Alli safety
Eat stalks and seeds only from clean ponds, since water lilies take up pollutants, and cook them well. Do not use the flowers or rhizome as medicine without a trained practitioner.
Ecology and sourcing
It grows in still, shallow fresh water across South and South-east Asia and Australia.
Bees and beetles pollinate the flowers.
Its leaves shade the water and shelter fish and frogs.
Related plants
Questions about Alli
Is alli the same as lotus?
No. Lotus is Nelumbo nucifera, a different family.
Which country has Alli as a national flower?
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Can Alli be eaten?
Stalks and seeds are eaten in Bengal and Bangladesh.
When do the flowers of Alli open?
In the morning, closing by afternoon.
How do I tell Alli from lotus?
Its leaves float flat and have a slit.
Sources
- Nymphaea nouchali Burm.f. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q2663639 (Nymphaea nouchali)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.