White Water-lily

While Pete and Chris were sampling invertebrates at Wicken Fen, I had a pleasant walk round the site - fortunately it wasn't as hot as yesterday! The white water-lilies were in full flower in Wicken Lode - one of the few genuinely native sites for them in Cambridgeshire. At one time this species was more frequent, but is much more sensitive to  the effects of boat traffic than the ubiquitous yellow water-lily because it has no submerged leaves, and is now most often found in lakes or large ponds, where it's often been introduced.