'''Nuphar''' is genus of aquatic plants in the family
Nymphaeaceae, with a temperate
Northern Hemisphere distribution. The common name, shared with some other genera in the same family, is 'water lily' or 'waterlily'.

''Nuphar shimadae''
There are between 1-25 species in the genus; some
botanists treat the genus as just a single variable species (for which the name ''N. lutea'' has priority), but 10-15 species are typically accepted by most authorities.
The genus is closely related to ''
Nymphaea'', differing in the
petals being much smaller than the 4-6 bright yellow-coloured
sepals, whereas in ''Nymphaea'', the petals are much larger than the sepals. The
fruit maturation also differs, with ''Nuphar'' fruit being held above water level to maturity, whereas ''Nymphaea'' fruit sink below the water level immediately after the flower closes. Both genera share
leaves with a radial notch from the circumference to the
petiole (leaf stem) in the center.