I often find fragments of Spatterdock rhizomes whilst out kayaking - they tend to float and decay on the surface after they've been part of a muskrat meal, with no leaves or flower stalks connected to it. It's hard to imagine it as part of the plant, since we usually only see the floating leaves and bright yellow flowers at the surface. Below is a close up pic of the underground parts - the old leaf stalks create quite an amazing pattern on the rhizome.
I was fortunate to find this entire Spatterdock (Nuphar lutea) specimen floating in the lake after a disruptive spring storm on April 4, 2024. It shows the entire plant at a glance.
I kept the plant contained in lake water for a few days, and was pleased to see how it had developed a week later, with its leaves unfurling beautifully.
All the elements of the Cow Lily plant are illustrated below:
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| from Maine Field Guide to Invasive Aquatic Plants - Lake Stewards of Maine |