Karen Jean Smith - Ceramics
The Spatterdocks: Overview
The Spatterdocks
Sculptural and functional interpretations in ceramic of yellow pond lilies found in the northeastern United States.
Facts of Nature
Spatterdocks. . .
are also known as
- cow-lilies
- yellow pond lilies
- bullhead lilies
- brandy bottles (because of their scent)
- Nuphars (meaning nymph.)
- They thrive in the fresh still waters of lakes, ponds and slow-moving rivers.
- There are different species of yellow pond lily, and variations within the species.
- Distinct species are native to Europe, Africa, parts of Asia and the Americas and they can be invasive.
- As the yellow sepals fall away, the pistil, which contains the seeds, swells to a pot-like form.
- Like the flowers, the heart shaped leaves may float on the surface of the water or rise a few inches above it.
- The rhizome is an underground plant stem that, in the case of yellow pond lilies, is submerged in mud beneath the water.