Nelumbo nucifera
Nelumbo nucifera flower
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Proteales Family: Nelumbonaceae Genus: Nelumbo Species: N. Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. The flowering plants or angiosperms ( Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta) are the most widespread group Magnoliopsida is the Botanical name for a class of Flowering plants By definition the class will include the family Magnoliaceae, but its Proteales is the Botanical name of an order of Flowering plants. Nelumbo is a Genus of aquatic plants with large showy Water lily -like flowers commonly known as Lotus or sacred lotus Nelumbo is a Genus of aquatic plants with large showy Water lily -like flowers commonly known as Lotus or sacred lotus nucifera
Binomial name
Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.
Synonyms
Nelumbium speciosum Nymphaea nelumbo

Nelumbo nucifera is known by a number of common names, including blue lotus, Indian lotus, sacred lotus, bean of India, and sacred water-lily. In Scientific nomenclature, synonyms are different Scientific names used for a single Taxon. Botanically, Nelumbo nucifera (Gaertn. ) may also be referred to by its former names, Nelumbium speciosum (Wild. In Scientific nomenclature, synonyms are different Scientific names used for a single Taxon. ) or Nymphaea nelumbo. This plant is an aquatic perennial, but if its seeds are preserved under favorable circumstances, they may remain viable for many years.

In Ancient Egypt, Nelumbo nucifera was unknown, being introduced only at the time of the Persian invasions, late in ancient Egyptian history. Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia The ancient Egyptians venerated the blue water-lily, Nymphaea caerulea, which was sometimes known as the "blue lotus" or "sacred lotus". Nymphaea caerulea, also known as the Egyptian blue lily or sacred blue lily, is a Blue water-lily in the Genus

N. nucifera was native to a huge area from modern Vietnam to Afghanistan, being spread widely as an ornamental and food plant. In 1787 it was first brought into horticulture in Western Europe as a stove-house water-lily under the patronage of Joseph Banks and can be seen in botanical garden collections where heating is provided. Sir Joseph Banks 1st Baronet, GCB, PRS (13 February 1743 &ndash 19 June 1820 was an English naturalist, botanist and patron of Botanical gardens grow a wide variety of Plants primarily to categorize and document for scientific purposes Today it is rare or extinct in the wild in Africa but widely naturalized in southern Asia and Australia, where it is commonly cultivated in water gardens. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Water gardens, also known as aquatic gardens, backyard ponds and Garden ponds, have been made popular by Andy Holt in recent years It is the National Flower of India and Vietnam. This article is about symbols of nations Many countries it can be used for is Chantal

Classification

See also: Nelumbo

Plant taxonomy systems agree that this flower is in the Nelumbo genus, but disagree as to which family Nelumbo is in, or whether it should be part of its own unique family and order tree. Nelumbo is a Genus of aquatic plants with large showy Water lily -like flowers commonly known as Lotus or sacred lotus Plant taxonomy is the science that finds describes classifies identifies and names Plants It thus is one of the main branches of taxonomy. Nelumbo is a Genus of aquatic plants with large showy Water lily -like flowers commonly known as Lotus or sacred lotus

Botany

Leaves in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. West Bengal ( Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchim Bônggo poʃtʃim bɔŋgo is a state in eastern India. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

In Kolkata, West Bengal, India. West Bengal ( Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchim Bônggo poʃtʃim bɔŋgo is a state in eastern India. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

The roots of Nelumbo nucifera are planted in the soil of the pond or river bottom, while the leaves float on top of the water surface. The flowers are usually found on thick stems rising several centimeters above the water. The plant normally grows up to a height of about 150 cm and a horizontal spread of up to 3 meters, but some unverified reports place the height as high as over 5 meters. The leaves may be as large as 60 cm in diameter, while the showy flowers can be up to 20 cm in diameter.

There are a number of different cultivars, the flower colours varying from snow white to yellow to a light pink. A cultivar is a cultivated Plant that has been selected and given a unique name because of its decorative or useful characteristics it is usually distinct from similar It is hardy to USDA Zone 5. A hardiness zone is a geographically-defined zone in which a specific category of Plant life is capable of growing as defined by Temperature hardiness or ability The plant can be propagated from seeds or rhizomes. In Botany, a rhizome is a horizontal stem of a Plant that is usually found underground often sending out Roots and Shoots One of the oldest seeds that have yet been germinated into a viable plant was an approximately 1,300-year-old lotus fruit, recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National ^[1]

Researchers report that the lotus has the remarkable ability to regulate the temperature of its flowers to within a narrow range just as humans and other warmblooded animals do. Temperature is a physical property of a system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold something that is hotter generally has the greater temperature A flower, also known as a bloom or Blossom, is the reproductive structure found in Flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also In Biology, a warm-blooded Animal species is one whose members maintain thermal Homeostasis; that is they keep their body temperature at a roughly constant ^[2] Dr. Roger S. Seymour and Dr. Paul Schultze-Motel, physiologists at the University of Adelaide in Australia, found that lotus flowers blooming in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens maintained a temperature of 86 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, even when the air temperature dropped to 50 degrees. The University of Adelaide (colloquially Adelaide University or Adelaide Uni) is a Public university located in Adelaide, South Australia For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Adelaide Botanic Garden is a public garden at the north-east corner of the Adelaide, in the Adelaide Park Lands. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 They suspect the flowers may be turning up the heat for the benefit of their coldblooded insect pollinators. Cold-blooded organisms (called poikilotherms - "of varying temperature" maintain their body temperatures in ways different from Mammals and Birds Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described A pollinator is the biotic agent ( vector) that moves Pollen from the male Anthers of a Flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish The study, published in the journal Nature, is the latest discovery in the esoteric field of heat-producing plants. Very few other species have so far been found to be able to regulate their temperature, including skunk cabbage and a Philodendron known as elephant ear. Philodendron is a large genus of Flowering plants from the arum family ( Araceae) consisting of close to 900 or more species according to TROPICOS (a

Uses

Fruit of Nelumbo nucifera; dried, the seed cup is commonly used in flower arrangements.

Boiled, sliced lotus roots used in various Asian cuisine

The flowers, seeds, young leaves, and "roots" (rhizomes) are all edible. In Botany, a rhizome is a horizontal stem of a Plant that is usually found underground often sending out Roots and Shoots In Asia, the petals are sometimes used for garnish, while the large leaves are used as a wrap for food. The rhizome (called ǒu (藕) in pinyin Chinese, ngau in Cantonese, bhe in some parts of India and Pakistan, and renkon (レンコン,蓮根 [1]） in Japanese) are used as a vegetable in soups and stir-fried dishes. In Botany, a rhizome is a horizontal stem of a Plant that is usually found underground often sending out Roots and Shoots is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities Petals, leaves, and rhizome can also all be eaten raw, but there is a risk of parasite transmission (e. g. Fasciolopsis buski): it is therefore recommended that they are cooked before eating. Fasciolopsiasis results from Infection by the Trematode Fasciolopsis buski (Lankester 1857 Odhner 1902 the largest Intestinal

Chinese people have long known that Lotus roots are a very healthy food and have been using them in this way for many centuries. Recent studies confirm this - Lotus roots were found to be rich in dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, copper, and manganese while very low in saturated fat.

Eating Lotus seeds

The stamens can be dried and made into a fragrant herbal tea called liánhuā cha (蓮花茶) in Chinese, or (particularly in Vietnam) used to impart a scent to tea leaves. The stamen ( Plural stamina or stamens, from Latin stamen meaning "thread of the warp " is the male An herbal tea, tisane, or ptisan is an Herbal Infusion made from anything other than the leaves of the Tea bush ( Camellia Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially Tea refers to the cured agricultural product of the leaves leaf buds and internodes of Camellia sinensis, which have been prepared and cured for the market The lotus seeds or nuts (called liánzĭ, 蓮子; or xian liánzĭ, 鲜莲子, in Chinese) are quite versatile, and can be eaten raw or dried and popped like popcorn. Lotus seeds or Lotus nuts are the seeds of plants in the genus Nelumbo, particularly the species Nelumbo nucifera. Popcorn or popping corn is a type of corn which explodes from the kernel and puffs up when heated They can also be boiled down until soft and made into a paste, or boiled with dried longans and rock sugar to made a tong sui (sweet soup). The longan ( Cantonese long-ngan; literally " dragon eye" Thai ลำไย is a tropical Tree native to southern Tong sui, also known as tian tang, is a collective term for any sweet warm Soup or Custard served as a dessert at the end of a meal in Cantonese cuisine Combined with sugar, lotus seed paste becomes one of the most common ingredient used in pastries such as mooncakes, daifuku, and rice flour pudding. Lotus seed paste is a Chinese dessert ingredient made from dried Lotus seeds Production The process for making the paste is similar to that used to Mooncakes are Chinese pastry traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. or (literally "great luck" is a Japanese confection consisting of a small round mochi ( Glutinous rice cake stuffed with Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many Flour is a powder made of Cereal grains It is the key ingredient of Bread, which is a staple food in many countries and therefore the availability Pudding most often refers to a Dessert, but can also be a savory dish

Various parts of the sacred lotus are also used in traditional Asian herbal medicine. Herbalism is a traditional Medicinal or Folk medicine practice based on the use of Plants and Plant extracts Herbalism is also known as Lotus seeds called Phool Mukhana is also used in Indian cooking. ^[3]

The distinctive dried seed heads, which resemble the spouts of watering cans^photo are widely sold throughout the world for decorative purposes and for dried flower arranging. A watering can is a portable container usually with a handle and a spout used to water plants by hand Floristry is the general term used to describe the professional floral trade

Cultural Significance

See also: Padma (attribute)

Sacred Lotus

Vishnu holding the lotus, also seating on it and wearing a lotus-bud crown

Hindu Goddess Lakshmi holding & standing on lotus

Hindus associate the lotus (Padma) blossom with creation mythology, and with the gods Vishnu, Brahma, and the goddesses Lakshmi and Sarasvati. Padma ( nelumblum speciosum) the Sacred lotus, is an Aquatic plant that plays a central role in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Lakshmi or Mahalakshmi (pronunciation; Sanskrit: लक्ष्मी lakṣmī) is the Hindu Goddess of Wealth Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. A creation myth is a supernatural mytho-[[religion religious]] story or explanation that describes the beginnings of humanity, Earth, life, and For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific Brahma is the Hindu god ( deva) of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. Lakshmi or Mahalakshmi (pronunciation; Sanskrit: लक्ष्मी lakṣmī) is the Hindu Goddess of Wealth Saraswati (pronounced as; Sanskrit: sa सरस्वती sarasvatī; Malay: Saraswati Thai: สุรัสวดี is the From ancient times the lotus has been a divine symbol in Hindu tradition. It is often used as an example of divine beauty, for example Vishnu is often described as the 'Lotus-Eyed One'. Its unfolding petals suggest the expansion of the soul. The growth of its pure beauty from the mud of its origin holds a benign spiritual promise. Particularly Brahma and Lakshmi, the divinities of potence and wealth, have the lotus symbol associated with them. In Hindu iconography, deities often are depicted with lotus flowers as their seats. Over the millennia of its development Hinduism has adopted several iconic symbols, forming part of Hindu iconography, that are imbued with spiritual meaning based In Hindi it is called कमल (Kamal) which is also a popular name for men, the female form is Kamala. Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is

The lotus flower is quoted extensively within Puranic and Vedic literature, for example:

One who performs his duty without attachment, surrendering the results unto the Supreme Lord, is unaffected by sinful action, as the lotus leaf is untouched by water. For other meanings see Purana (disambiguation. The Puranas ( Sanskrit: sa पुराण purāṇa, "of ancient times" "Veda" redirects here For other uses see Veda (disambiguation. Bhagavad Gita 5. 10

Borrowing from Hinduism, in Buddhist symbolism, the lotus represents purity of body, speech, and mind, floating above the muddy waters of attachment and desire. Buddhist symbolism appeared from around the 3rd century BCE and started with aniconic symbolism avoiding direct representations of the Buddha The Buddha is often depicted sitting on a giant lotus leaf or blossom. Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder According to legend, he was born with the ability to walk and everywhere he stepped, lotus flowers bloomed.

Drawing in turn on these Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, the international Bahá'í community adopted this symbolism in the design of the Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India. The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind The Bahá'í House of Worship in Delhi, India, popularly known as the Lotus Temple, is a Bahá'í House of Worship and also a prominent New Delhi (नई दिल्ली ਨਵੀਂ ਦਿੱਲੀ نئی دلی is the Capital city of India.

The Chinese also revere the sacred lotus as a symbol of purity and elegance, and it is a common motif in ancient Chinese poetry. A famous statement about the lotus' symbolism in Chinese culture is made by Confucian scholar Zhou Dunyi: I love the lotus because, while growing from mud, it is unstained. Confucianism ( is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the fifth century B Zhou Dunyi ( 1017–1073 born Zhou Dunshi (周惇实 Courtesy name Maoshu (茂叔 was a Chinese Neo-Confucian Philosopher

Gallery

Leaf with water drops after rain in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. West Bengal ( Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchim Bônggo poʃtʃim bɔŋgo is a state in eastern India. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country	A blossom in formation	Budding blossom	An opening blossom
Fully opened flower	Seed head without petals	Another Seed head without petals	More developed seed head
A dried seed head and a new blossom	Lotus field at the Echo Park Lake, with the L. A. skyline in the background.	A bee hovers over a lotus flower.	The golden-colored core of a lotus bloom is a seed pod.
Dried-out and mature lotus seed pods.

See also

• Lotus
• Lotus seed
• Lotus Position
• Nelumbo
• Tulsi

Notes

References

• The Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)
• Plant Cultures: botany, history and uses of sacred lotus
• Pacific Island Ecosystems: Nelumbo nucifera
• Nelumbo nucifera in traditional Chinese medicine

External links