Yellow Water-lily is a plant of still or slow-moving water. It has a stout fleshy rhizome which creeps in the underwater mud, which sends up leaves and flowers to the surface on long stalks; in fact the flowers are usually held a few inches above the water. The flowers consist of 5-6 large yellow sepals surrounding about 20 smaller narrower petals, while the ovary has a flat cap with 10-25 radiating stigmas. The top leaves are round, thick leathery and waxy, while there are some thinner submerged leaves.