Nelumbo nucifera

Taxonomy and growth

Family

Nelumbonaceae

Genus

Nelumbo

Life cycle

perennial

Height

1 m

Spread

1 m

Flower type

hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Root - cooked as a vegetable^{[1][23][25][21]}. It is also a source of starch or arrowroot^[12][25]. Much used and relished in Chinese cooking, the root has a mild flavour^[8] and a crisp texture^[14]. It can be cooked with other vegetables, soaked in syrup or pickled in vinegar^[20]. The root contains about 1.7% protein, 0.1% fat, 9.7% carbohydrate, 1.1% ash^[9]. Young leaves - cooked or raw^{[23][25][4][10]}. Used as a vegetable^[21]. The leaves can also be used to wrap small parcels of food before cooking them^[20]. Stems - cooked. A taste somewhat like beet^[12][2]. They are usually peeled before use^[11]. Seed - raw or cooked^{[1][23][24][10][21]}. A delicate flavour^[12]. The seed can be popped like popcorn, ground into a powder and used in making bread or eaten dry^[10]. The bitter tasting embryo is often removed^[3][4]. The seed contains about 15.9% protein, 2.8% fat, 70% carbohydrate, 3.9% ash^[9]. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute^[10]. Petals can be floated in soups or used as a garnish^[10]. The stamens are used to flavour tea^[10].

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The Sacred water lotus has been used in the Orient as a medicinal herb for well over 1,500 years^[16]. All parts of the plant are used, they are astringent, cardiotonic, febrifuge, hypotensive, resolvent, stomachic, styptic, tonic and vasodilator^{[3][5][6][7][16][17]}. The leaf juice is used in the treatment of diarrhoea and is decocted with liquorice (Glycyrrhiza spp) for the treatment of sunstroke^[15]. A decoction of the flowers is used in the treatment of premature ejaculation^[15]. The flowers are recommended as a cardiac tonic^[17]. A decoction of the floral receptacle is used in the treatment of abdominal cramps, bloody discharges etc^[15]. The flower stalk is haemostatic^[7]. It is used in treating bleeding gastric ulcers, excessive menstruation, post-partum haemorrhage^[16]. The stamens are used in treating urinary frequency, premature ejaculation, haemolysis, epistasis and uterine bleeding^[7][16]. A decoction of the fruit is used in the treatment of agitation, fever, heart complaints etc^[15]. The seed contains several medically active constituents, including alkaloids and flavonoids^[22]. It is hypotensive, sedative and vasodilator^[7][22]. The seed has been shown to lower cholesterol levels and to relax the smooth muscle of the uterus^[22]. It is used in the treatment of poor digestion, enteritis, chronic diarrhoea, spermatorrhoea, leukorrhoea, insomnia, palpitations etc^{[7][15][16][22]}. The plumule and radicle are used to treat thirst in high febrile disease, hypertension, insomnia and restlessness^[7][16]. The root is tonic^[15]. The root starch is used in the treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery etc, a paste is applied to ringworm and other skin ailments^[15]. It is also taken internally in the treatment of haemorrhages, excessive menstruation and nosebleeds^[16]. The roots are harvested in autumn or winter and dried for later use^[16]. The root nodes are used in the treatment of nasal bleeding, haemoptysis, haematuria and functional bleeding of the uterus^[7]. The plant has a folk history in the treatment of cancer, modern research has isolated certain compounds from the plant that show anticancer activity^[15].

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves are used as plates for eating food off^[21].

Environment

Range

Western. Asia from Iran eastwards to China, Japan and Australia.

Habitat

Found in large lakes to 1400 metres in the Himalayas^[24].

Light

full sun

Shade tolerance

no shade

Water

aquatic

Hardiness

Zone 5+

Soil textures

sandy, loamy, clay

Soil pH

acid, neutral, alkaline

Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil

No

Drought

intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a rich loam^[1]. Succeeds in water up to 2.5 metres deep^[13]. 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^[13]. The plant is happiest with water temperatures of 23 - 27°c in the growing season^[19] and requires a five month growing season^[20]. 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^[20].. Plants are resentful of root disturbance and should be planted into their permanent positions as soon as possible^[13]. Once established, they can become invasive when growing in suitable conditions^[16]. A very ornamental plant^[1], there are many named varieties some of which have been developed for their edible uses^[10]. It is said that pink-flowered forms are preferred for their edible seeds whilst the white-flowered forms are preferred for their edible roots^[20]. 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^[13]. The flowers have a sweet fruity perfume^[18]. This is the sacred Lotus of India and it is much cultivated as a food plant in the Orient^[1][12].

Related plants

• Nelumbo luteaAmerican Water Lotus

References

1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

   ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

   ↩

3. Brooklyn Botanic Garden Oriental Herbs and Vegetables, Vol 39 No. 2. Brooklyn Botanic Garden 1986-00-00

   ↩1↩2

4. Rosengarten. jnr. F. The Book of Edible Nuts. Walker & Co. 1984-00-00 ISBN 0802707699

   ↩1↩2

5. ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X

   ↩

6. Lassak. E. V. and McCarthy. T. Australian Medicinal Plants.

   ↩

7. Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985-00-00

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8. Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre

   ↩

9. Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00

   ↩1↩2

10. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

11. Low. T. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-207-14383-8

    ↩

12. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

13. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

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14. Larkcom J. Oriental Vegetables John Murray 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-4781-4

    ↩

15. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

16. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9

17. 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. 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2

18. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩

19. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-330-37376-5

    ↩

20. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Vegetables Macmillan Reference Books, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0 333 62640 0

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

21. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

22. Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea World Health Organisation, Manila 1998-00-00 ISBN 92 9061 120 0

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

23. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

24. Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press 1984-00-00

    ↩1↩2

25. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2↩3