amazonian?

One of the treats I look forward to in our northern lakes is the appearance of the Fragrant Water Lily, Nymphea odorata. Even as a kid, splashing about in the lakes during our all-too brief summers, these lilies, glistening white on the surface of the dark boggy waters, with their luxurious perfume warmed by the sun, tugged at mysterious places in my heart. Chances are the waxy white blossoms and the heavy scent had transported me from my familiar banged up canoe to some amazonian jungle as I watched dancing shafts of sunshine slicing through the murky waters around the lilypads. Of all the wild-flowers of my memory, perhaps these waterlilies seem the most exuberantly flamboyant, even exotic. Most of the other northern wildflowers of my memory seem to be much more modest and retiring.