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Nelumbo nucifera
| Common name: |
Sacred Water Lotus |
Family: |
Nelumbonaceae |
| Author: |
Gaertn. |
Botanical references: |
51, 200 |
| Synonyms: |
Nelumbium speciosum (Willd.) |
| Known Hazards: |
None known |
| Range: |
Western. Asia from Iran eastwards to China, Japan and Australia. |
| Habitat: |
Found in large lakes to 1400 metres in the Himalayas[51]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
4 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 3 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| N. caspica[G]
N. nelumbo[G]
N. speciosa[B,P]
N. speciosum[G]
Nelumbium nelumbo[P]
Nymphaea nelumbo[G]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Ch'Ieh [E], Chieh Fen [E], Chinese Arrowroot [H], Fo Tso Hsu [E], Fu Ch'U [E], Han T'Ao [E], Hasu [E], Ho [E], Ho Lien Hua [E], Ho Yeh [E], Hsia [E], Hung Pai Lien Hua [E], I [E], Kaya [E], Lien [E], Lien Hua [E], Lien I [E], Lien Ou [E], Lien Shih [E], Lien Tzu [E], Lien Tzu Hsin [E], Lotus Bean [E], Lotus,Blue [E], Mi [E], Ou [E], Ou Fen [E], Sacred Lotus [B,P], Shih Lien Tzu [E], Ti [E], |
| Epithets: | From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets |
|
nucifer = nut bearing;
nucifera = nut bearing;
|
| Systematics: | From a USDA
Plants Database |
|
Order: Nymphaeales. Lotus-lily family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
China; Egypt; India; India(Santal)
|
Physical Characteristics
Perennial growing to 1m by 1m . It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower from July to August. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs).
We rate it 4/5 for edibility and
3/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
It cannot grow in the shade.
It can grow in water.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Pond.Edible Uses
Coffee; Flowers; Leaves; Root; Seed; Stem.
Root - cooked as a vegetable[1, 46, 61, 272]. It is also a source of
starch or arrowroot[2, 61]. Much used and relished in Chinese cooking, the
root has a mild flavour[178] and a crisp texture[206]. It can be cooked with
other vegetables, soaked in syrup or pickled in vinegar[264]. The root
contains about 1.7% protein, 0.1% fat, 9.7% carbohydrate, 1.1% ash[179].
Young leaves - cooked or raw[46, 61, 117, 183]. Used as a vegetable[272].
The leaves can also be used to wrap small parcels of food before cooking
them[264].
Stems - cooked. A taste somewhat like beet[2, 105]. They are usually peeled
before use[193].
Seed - raw or cooked[1, 46, 51, 183, 272]. A delicate flavour[2]. The seed
can be popped like popcorn, ground into a powder and used in making bread or
eaten dry[183]. The bitter tasting embryo is often removed[116, 117]. The
seed contains about 15.9% protein, 2.8% fat, 70% carbohydrate, 3.9% ash[179].
The roasted seed is a coffee substitute[183].
Petals can be floated in soups or used as a garnish[183].
The stamens are used to flavour tea[183].
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Astringent; Cancer; Cardiotonic; Febrifuge; Hypotensive; Miscellany; Resolvent; Stomachic; Styptic; Tonic; Vasodilator.
The Sacred water lotus has been used in the Orient as a medicinal herb
for well over 1,500 years[238]. All parts of the plant are used, they are
astringent, cardiotonic, febrifuge, hypotensive, resolvent, stomachic,
styptic, tonic and vasodilator[116, 147, 152, 176, 238, 240].
The leaf juice is used in the treatment of diarrhoea and is decocted with
liquorice (Glycyrrhiza spp) for the treatment of sunstroke[218].
A decoction of the flowers is used in the treatment of premature
ejaculation[218]. The flowers are recommended as a cardiac tonic[240]. A
decoction of the floral receptacle is used in the treatment of abdominal
cramps, bloody discharges etc[218].
The flower stalk is haemostatic[176]. It is used in treating bleeding
gastric ulcers, excessive menstruation, post-partum haemorrhage[238].
The stamens are used in treating urinary frequency, premature ejaculation,
haemolysis, epistasis and uterine bleeding[176, 238].
A decoction of the fruit is used in the treatment of agitation, fever, heart
complaints etc[218].
The seed contains several medically active constituents, including alkaloids
and flavonoids[279]. It is hypotensive, sedative and vasodilator[176, 279].
The seed has been shown to lower cholesterol levels and to relax the smooth
muscle of the uterus[279]. It is used in the treatment of poor digestion,
enteritis, chronic diarrhoea, spermatorrhoea, leukorrhoea, insomnia,
palpitations etc[176, 218, 238, 279].
The plumule and radicle are used to treat thirst in high febrile disease,
hypertension, insomnia and restlessness[176, 238].
The root is tonic[218]. The root starch is used in the treatment of
diarrhoea, dysentery etc, a paste is applied to ringworm and other skin
ailments[218]. It is also taken internally in the treatment of haemorrhages,
excessive menstruation and nosebleeds[238]. The roots are harvested in autumn
or winter and dried for later use[238].
The root nodes are used in the treatment of nasal bleeding, haemoptysis,
haematuria and functional bleeding of the uterus[176].
The plant has a folk history in the treatment of cancer, modern research has
isolated certain compounds from the plant that show anticancer activity[218].
Other Uses
Miscellany.
The leaves are used as plates for eating food off[272].
Cultivation details
Requires a rich loam[1]. Succeeds in water up to 2.5 metres deep[200].
In cooler climates, however, it should be grown in shallower water, though no
less than 30 cm deep, which will warm up more quickly and encourage better
growth and flowering[200]. The plant is happiest with water temperatures of
23 - 27°c in the growing season[260] and requires a five month growing
season[264].
This species is not tremendously hardy when grown outdoors in Britain and it
is best, once the leaves have died down in the autumn, to store the roots in
a frost-free place, either in a tub of water or in moist sand[264]..
Plants are resentful of root disturbance and should be planted into their
permanent positions as soon as possible[200]. Once established, they can
become invasive when growing in suitable conditions[238].
A very ornamental plant[1], there are many named varieties some of which
have been developed for their edible uses[183]. It is said that pink-flowered
forms are preferred for their edible seeds whilst the white-flowered forms
are preferred for their edible roots[264].
Most forms are not cold-hardy outdoors in Britain but some, especially those
from far eastern provenances are much hardier and will possibly succeed
outdoors in favoured areas of Britain[200]. The flowers have a sweet fruity
perfume[245].
This is the sacred Lotus of India and it is much cultivated as a food plant
in the Orient[1, 2].
Propagation
Seed - file the seed across its centre, being very careful not to
damage the flesh of the seed, and soak in warm water, changing the water
twice a day until signs of germination are seen, which should be within 3 - 4
weeks at 25°c. Plant in individual pots just covered in water and increase
the depth as the plant grows.
Division in spring as the plant comes into growth. Be very careful, the
plants deeply resent root disturbance[200].
Scent
-
Flowers: Fresh
- The flowers have a sweet fruity perfume[245].
Cultivars
- ''
- No entries have been made for this species as yet.
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
Web References
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [B] Data
(Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [PHARM] Phytochemical Data
(common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
References for Nelumbium speciosum (a possible synonym).
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
References for nelumbo nucifera (a possible synonym).
References for the family Nelumbonaceae.
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
[51] Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press 1984
A very readable and good pocket guide (if you have a very large pocket!) to many of the wild plants in the Himalayas. Gives many examples of plant uses.
[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
[116] Brooklyn Botanic Garden Oriental Herbs and Vegetables, Vol 39 No. 2. Brooklyn Botanic Garden 1986
A small booklet packed with information.
[117] Rosengarten. jnr. F. The Book of Edible Nuts. Walker & Co. 1984 ISBN 0802707699
A very readable and comprehensive guide. Well illustrated.
[147] ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X
A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.
[152] Lassak. E. V. and McCarthy. T. Australian Medicinal Plants.
A very good and readable guide to the subject.
[176] Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985
A very good Chinese herbal.
[178] Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.
[179] Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977
A translation of an ancient Chinese book on edible wild foods. Fascinating.
[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
[193] Low. T. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson. 1989 ISBN 0-207-14383-8
Well presented, clear information and good photographs. An interesting read for the casual reader as well as the enthusiast
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[206] Larkcom J. Oriental Vegetables John Murray 1991 ISBN 0-7195-4781-4
Well written and very informative.
[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
[260] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998 ISBN 0-330-37376-5
Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.
[264] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Vegetables Macmillan Reference Books, London. 1995 ISBN 0 333 62640 0
Excellent and easily read book with good information and an excellent collection of photos of vegetables from around the world, including many unusual species.
Readers Comments
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Bibliography
Plant information taken from the
Plants For A Future -
Species Database.
Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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