Nymphaea caerulea, known primarily as
blue lotus (or
blue Egyptian lotus), but also
blue water lily (or
blue Egyptian water lily), and
sacred blue lily (or
sacred narcotic lily of the nile), is a
water-lily in the
genus Nymphaea. Like other species in the genus, the plant contains the psychoactive alkaloid
apomorphine. It was known to the
Mayan and
Ancient Egyptian civilisations.