In the modern world, the lotus flower is associated primarily with the beauty and wisdom of the East. Many people get tattoos with a schematic image of a lotus, but not everyone has seen at least a photo of this flower.
Instructions
Step 1
There are only two types of lotuses - nutty, which can be found from the Amur River to the tropics of Australia, and yellow or American, which grows in the New World.
Step 2
The lotus is an amphibious herbaceous perennial plant, its thick and powerful stems are entirely hidden under water. Some of the leaves are underwater, scaly formations, the other part is raised above the water or floating, attached to the stems with flexible petioles. Emerging leaves are impressive in size, their diameter can reach seventy centimeters.
Step 3
Lotus flowers are also quite large with numerous white or pink petals, in some cases the diameter of the flowers can be thirty centimeters. They rise from the water on a straight, rather dense pedicel; below the place where the flower attaches to it, there is a reaction zone, thanks to which the lotus can turn after the sun. In the center of the flower there is a large number of bright yellow stamens, the aroma of the nut-bearing lotus is very subtle, but almost imperceptible.
Step 4
Both flowers and lotus leaves are covered with a thin waxy coating that makes them sparkle and glow in the sun. Water droplets do not linger on the surface of the leaves due to the waxy coating. It is surprising that lotus seeds retain their germination for a very long time. There are several cases when lotus seeds, stored in various collections, germinated one hundred or even two hundred years after collection.
Step 5
American lotus flowers are usually yellow or creamy and are much more fragrant. They, in the same way as the flowers of the nut-bearing lotus, follow the movement of the sun across the firmament.
Step 6
In ancient times, people worshiped this plant, it gave them medicine for many diseases and delicious food. In traditional Indian, Chinese, Arabic, Tibetan and Vietnamese medicine, all parts of this plant were widely used - petals, seeds, receptacle, pedicels, roots, rhizomes and leaves.
Step 7
Modern research has revealed the presence of a huge amount of biologically active substances in lotuses, mainly alkaloids and flavonoids. Medicines from the lotus are used as a tonic, cardiotonic and tonic. In Southeast Asia, lotus rhizomes are eaten fried, boiled and pickled. Young leaves of this plant are eaten raw and boiled, like asparagus.
