Nelumbo

Nelumbo is a genus of aquatic, rhizomatous perennials in the family Nelumbonaceae. It includes two living species: Nelumbo nucifera, commonly known as the sacred lotus, and Nelumbo lutea, the American lotus. The genus is native to Asia and the Americas and is widely cultivated for ornamental and culinary uses.

Plants have sturdy rhizomes in the mud and produce large floating leaves with long petioles attached near the center. The leaves are circular to reniform and can reach substantial sizes. Flowers are solitary, borne on erect stalks that rise above the water, and consist of multiple petaloid sepals around a central receptacle that bears carpels.

N. nucifera flowers range from pink to white; N. lutea is yellow. After flowering, the fruiting structure develops into a spongy, beehive-like seed capsule that contains many large seeds.

Pollination is primarily by insects, especially beetles. The plant propagates by seed and by rhizomes; seeds can remain viable for long periods and are dispersed by water.

Taxonomically, Nelumbo is the only genus in Nelumbonaceae, within the order Proteales. It has a fossil record with extinct Nelumbo species. Cultural significance is strong for the sacred lotus in Asia, where it is a symbol of purity and spiritual awakening.