Nymphaea \Nym*phae"a\, prop. n. [L., the water lily, Gr. ?.] (Bot.) A genus of aquatic plants having showy flowers (white, blue, pink, or yellow, often fragrant), including the white water lily and the Egyptia lotus. [1913 Webster] Note: Recent critics have endeavored to show that this genus should be called {Castalia}, and the name {Nymphaea} transferred to what is now known as {Nuphar}. [1913 Webster]