This vegetation type is dominated by Nuphar lutea, which usually has large leaves that float on the water surface, but in flowing or deep still water it produces only submerged leaves. It occurs in mesotrophic to eutrophic water of oxbows, alluvial pools, channels and lentic sections of streams, but it is rare in fishponds. Most often it is found at water depths of 50–150 cm, but it tolerates even strong fluctuations of the water level. In the Czech Republic in occurs mainly in the floodplains of large lowland rivers.