Nymphaeaceae is a small family of aquatic plants, containing five genera (barclaya, euryale, nuphar, nymphaea, victoria), of which nuphar and nymphaea have species native to the US; about 20, though only a few are common in the West. Plants have alternate leaves, growing from a rhizome. Leaf blades may be submerged or floating, and they are attached by long stalks. Flowers are produced singly, from the leaf nodes; they are formed of between 4 and 14 sepals enclosing a group of much smaller petals, many purplish stamens and a disc-shaped stigma.