Nymphaea tenuinervia is a species of waterlily native to Colombia, Guyana and Brazil.

[3] The heart-shaped to egg-shaped leaves have a firm texture and entire margins.

It is primarily composed of anisole, but also significantly smaller amounts of (methoxymethyl)benzene and butyl acetate.

[7] The ovoid, granulose, pilose seeds feature trichomes arranged in continuous longitudinal lines.

[2] Autogamy was not observed in this species, therefore a reliance on out-crossing for generative reproduction is likely.

[2] The type specimen was collected near Juazeiro in the St. Francisco river of Bahia, Brazil in April 1819.