This spectacular pale yellow-flowered aquatic with large, round, peltate leaves is widely scattered across eastern states, Mexico and West Indies, especially in eutrophic wetlands with fine-textured mucky soils that occasionally dry down at margins. The large seeds ("water chinquapins") are generally deposited along shores from stranded floating pods, then potentially germinate within a few weeks if still somewhat green with soft seed coats (even on dried mud); but after seed coats mature when dried out above water, they may then become dormant under water for many years. Plants send out fast-growing rhizomes, spreading up to 4 meters per year laterally into water about 0.5-1.5 m deep (Hall & Penfound 1944). Rafinesque (1836, 1:31-32) suggested that this species was spread to the north by Indian tribes; tubers (produced by larger plants) and seeds can be readily eaten, even when raw (Swan 2010). However, there has been much less analysis of its nutritional and medicinal value compared to that of N. nucifera (e.g. Sridhar & Bhat 2007, Mukherjee et al. 2009). Plants also contain quinoline alkaloids (perhaps especially in green tissues) with potentially dangerous sedative effects (Kupchan et al. 1963, Zelenski 1977). In Ky. Nelumbo was listed for the Lousiville area (JEFF) by McMurtrie (1819). Short (1836, 1837) knew of only three sites in Ky.: (1) "a pond in the Barrens" (perhaps CHRI); (2) "a pond on the borders of Jessamine county, within six miles of Lexington" [presumably near Ash Grove Pike at US 27]; and (3) "On the Ohio river, a hundred miles north of Lexington... a shallow basin of 50 acres or so..." (perhaps CAMP; see also his notes on seeds). A fourth record comes from Robert Peter in letter to E. Durand, August 19th, 1834; Transylvania College]: "Nelumbium luteum grows in the river Kentucky, in a pond on the margin of the river, 4 or 5 miles above Frankfort, on the north side--on the right bank..." [presumably near the mouth of Mill Creek in WOOD]. Currently, N. lutea occurs mostly in large, old natural ponds and lakes, especially in western regions, and it rarely spreads to smaller ponds without the hand of man (then probably by waterfowl). Plants that now grow in small ponds of BOON, GARR, JEFF, JESS, MADI, OWEN and elsewhere in central or eastern region may result from artificial introductions but origins are often obscure (see especially iNaturalist.org).