Extended data
Lotus belongs to the family Nelumbo, which is the general name of two plants of the genus Nelumbo. Also known as lotus, water hibiscus and so on. It is a perennial aquatic herb flower of lotus. Underground stems are long and thick, with long nodes and round leaves. Flowering from June to September, it is solitary at the top of the pedicel. There are many petals embedded in the receptacle hole, which are red, pink, white and purple, or have colored lines and edges. Nuts are oval and seeds are oval.
There are many kinds of lotus flowers, which are divided into ornamental and edible categories. China is native to tropical and temperate Asia and was planted as early as the Zhou Dynasty. Lotus is precious all over the body, lotus root and lotus seed are edible, and the germ of lotus seed, rhizome, lotus node, lotus leaf, flower and seed can be used as medicine.
Its character of emerging from the mud without staining has always been praised by the world. "The next day, the lotus leaves are infinitely colorful, and the lotus flowers reflect different colors in the sun" is a true portrayal of the beauty of lotus flowers. The noble character of lotus flower "straight through the outside, not crawling, not stained with mud, clear but not demon" has always been one of the themes of poets' painting.
1985 in may, lotus was rated as one of the top ten flowers in China. Lotus is the national flower of India and Vietnam.
Lotus is an aquatic plant, which likes relatively stable and calm shallow water, lakes, swamps and ponds, and is its suitable habitat. The water demand of lotus depends on its variety. The relative water level of large plant-shaped varieties such as Gulian and Chiba is deep, but it cannot exceed 1.7 meters. Small and medium-sized plant varieties are only suitable for water depth of 20-60 cm.
Meanwhile, lotus is very sensitive to water loss. As long as you don't irrigate for three hours in summer, the lotus leaves planted in the water tank will be sluggish. If the water is stopped for one day, the lotus leaves will be burnt and the buds will wither. Lotus is also very fond of light, and it needs a full light environment during its growing period. Lotus is extremely intolerant of shade, so it will show strong phototaxis when it grows in semi-shade.
Waterscape plants are the theme in landscape gardens: As the saying goes, "A garden without mountains is not strong, and a mountain without water is not beautiful". It is very common to decorate waterscape with lotus flowers in China gardens. There are many famous gardens in Jiangnan, and there are terraces to enjoy the lotus. There is a "lianhua bridge" on the bank of the Slender West Lake in Yangzhou. The jade pavilions on the bridge are patchwork, simple and elegant in shape, exquisite and unique, which set each other off with the lotus flowers in the lake. It is the best place in Slender West Lake. Lotus Square in Jinxiyuan, Yueyang is built by the water, connected with the winding fence, fragrant cattails and enjoying lotus in the rain, which is deeply loved by the masses.
The green viewing period of lotus is as long as 8 months, and the flowering period is about 2-3 months. In summer and autumn, there are few cicadas, peaches and plums are silent, and the graceful lotus flowers exude a refreshing fragrance in a clear water, which makes people feel relaxed and happy.
Source: Baidu Encyclopedia: Lotus