Not nymphaea rubra

Our lily pond is now completely lilied, with the lily leaves overflowing in all directions. Full size, rather than the miniatures we were expecting from the appearance of the young plant in the shop (Chessington Garden Centre).

From time to time we think about making an effort to get hold of one of the smaller varieties, but then think that even one of those might not look right in this very small pond, not much more than a couple of feet in diameter. In the meantime there is the odd flower lurking underneath this variety.

You would be quite wrong if you dragged up your Latin from your schooldays and called it nymphaea rubra, as while there is a variety with that name, it is so named for its red underwater leaves, not for its red overwater flowers and is mostly grown in this country in fish tanks rather than lily ponds. All very confusing as nymphaea alba most certainly is so called for having a white flower. Google offers plenty of nice pictures, some illustrating nicely how lily flowers are supposed to float gracefully on open patches of water, unencumbered by leaves or anything else.