Water lily

There are many flowers in our country. The Shapla or water lily is a common flower in Bangladesh. It is our national flower. It is a large and showy flower. The Shapla plant grows well in freshwater. It has a stem that remains under mud. The stem is called `Shaluk’. The Shaluk is taken as food by the poor people of our country. Its leaves and flowers float on water. Shapla is found in heels, jheels, haors and in the ponds of Bangladesh. It generally blooms in the rainy season and in the autumn. Shapla is of many kinds and colors. Some are white, some are red and some are pink and some are blue in color. I like it very much.