Nymphaea rubra is a species of waterlily native to the region spanning from Sri Lanka and northeastern India to western and central Malesia. Additionally, it has been introduced to regions such as Southeast China, Cuba, Guyana, Hungary, and Suriname.
The flowers are 15–25 cm wide. The four purplish-red sepals are oblong to lanceolate. The 12–20 narrowly oval petals have a rounded apex. The androecium consists of 55 red stamens. The gynoecium consists of 16–21 carpels. The fruit bears 1.85 mm long, and 1.6 mm wide seeds. The peduncle is 116 cm long. The flowers are pleasantly fragrant.
