_Lotus Nelumbois an aquatic perennial, surviving temps to 10 degrees F.
Under favorable circumstances its seeds may remain viable for many years, with
the oldest recorded lotus germination being from that of seeds 1300 years old
recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China. Lotus is considered to be
one of the most ancient plants in existence. lotus has the remarkable ability
to regulate the temperature of its flowers to within a narrow range just as
humans and other warmblooded animals do. Dr. Roger S. Seymour and Dr. Paul
Schultze-Motel, physiologists at the University of Adelaide in Australia, found
that lotus flowers blooming in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens maintained a
temperature of 30–35°C (86–95°F), even when the air temperature dropped to 10°C
(50°F)
Evolutionary biologist Jane Shen-Miller of the University
of California, found that lotus seeds nearly 500 years old were still able to
germinate and flourish after such a long time. Even though the radioactivity of
the soil from which the seeds were excavated resulted in minor abnormalities in
the growth, the fact that the lotus is able to withstand time and degradation
has some very interesting implications. The traditional Sacred Lotus is
distantly related to Nymphaea caerulea, and possesses similar chemistry. Both
Nymphaea caerulea and Nelumbo nucifera contain the alkaloids nuciferine and
aporphine.
In India, the lotus flower is considered to be of divine
origin and is viewed as sacred by both Hindus and Buddhists. Buddha
was said to sleep on a lotus six months of the year, and
Shambala (Buddhist heaven) is sometimes represented as a field of flowering sacred lotuses. The idea of enlightenment is symbolized by the life cycle
of the sacred lotus plant because it begins its life humbly
in the mud of ponds but soon grows and sends stems and flowers well
above the surface of the water (up to 50cm), thus showing the
path of spiritual enfoldment.
Chinese poetsalso use lotus flowers to inspire people to continue striving through difficulties and to show their best part to the outside world, no matter how bad the circumstances may be. This is understood as being just like the lotus flower, bringing beauty and light from the murky darkness at the bottom of the pond."
Uses as food: The seeds are eaten; unripe and raw, or
ripe and cooked. They are a popular ingredient in local desserts like
"cheng teng". The rhizomes are also eaten. These are long sausage
shaped with hollow portions and are connected like sausages on a string. They
are boiled in soup; candied as a dessert; or pickled. The petioles and young
roots are also eaten. The large circular leaves may be used to wrap food such
as in lotus rice. The plant has been cultivated in China since the 12th century
BC.
Traditional medicinal uses: The rhizomes or leaves are used with other herbs to treat
sunstroke, fever, diarrhea, dysentery, dizziness, vomiting of blood,
hemorrhoids. The whole plant is used as an antidote to mushroom poisoning. Seeds: The embryonic seeds for high fever, cholera
(Chinese), nervous disorders and insomnia; the seeds to stop vomiting, relieve
indigestion and diarrhoea or just as a tonic. Flowers: pounded petals for syphilis; for cosmetic
unguents (Java); the flower stalk with other herbs to treat bleeding from the
uterus. Fruit: the pods contain alkaloids that stop bleeding.
Indian Mythology: Long ago, at the end of the aeons, the
whole universe had been engulfed in an ocean, and Creation was all but lost.
The god Vishnu, preserver of life, whose abode is the primordial waters, was
asleep in this timeless darkness, dreaming of worlds to come. As his dreams
unfolded, a lotus flower emerged from his navel and revealed within its many
folds the cosmic egg, in which Brahma the creator, was asleep. As Brahma stirred, Creation began to unfold again, and
new worlds, new gods, and new life appeared. In India today, the lotus is still
considered to be the cradle of the universe, and many Indian deities are
portrayed sitting on a large lotus flower.