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| Contents |
| Water Lily
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White Egyptian Lotus | ||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||
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| Genera | ||||||||||
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Barclaya Wall. (4 spp.) Euryale Salisb. (1 sp.) Nelumbo A. Rich. - water lotuses (2 spp.) Nuphar Sm. (9 spp.) Nymphaea L. - water lilies (47 spp.) Ondinea Hartog (1 sp.) Victoria Lindl. - giant water lily (2 spp.) |
The Nymphaeaceae (water lilies) belong to the Order Nymphaeales. They are tuberous plants that are rooted in soil in bodies of water, with leaves and flowers floating on the water surface. Some species of the water lotus are used as food.
Modern phylogenetic thinking about the flowering plants regards the water lilies as the most basal ("primitive") of the flowering plants.
Many botanists place the genus Nelumbo in its own family, the Nelumbonaceae.
The lotus is a water lily in either the genus Nymphaea (the Egyptian lotus) or genus Nelumbo (the Indian lotus). Like most water lilies, both plants have round leaves that float on the surface of the water. Nymphaea leaves have a radial notch; Nelumbo leaves do not. Leaves lacking a notch reaching into the petiole (leaf stem) are called peltate. Nelumbo fruit is often used in flower arrangements. It has about twenty pits in its upper surface, each of which contains a seed. Both plants have been used as religious symbols.
Nelumbo nucifera is highly regarded in Hindu and Buddhist cultures and has been given the status of National Flower of India. This species is also edible in all its parts and is used in many Asian cuisines.
In Buddhist symbolismBuddhist symbolism includes the following symbols: General Among the most common symbols of Buddhism are the dharma wheel and the lotus flower. The dharma wheel, traditionally represented with eight spokes, can have a variety of meanings. It is generally, the lotus represents purity of body, speech, and mind, floating above the muddy waters of attachment and desire. The Buddha is often depicted sitting on a giant lotus leaf or blossom. See also: Lotus PositionThe Lotus Position ( Sanskrit: Padmasanam lotus posture ) is a cross- legged sitting posture which originated in representations and meditative practices of Hinduism. It is an established part of the Hindu Yoga tradition, Zen and other meditative discipli.