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Nelumbo nucifera 'Alba'

Family Name:	Nelumbonaceae
Synonyms:	Nelumbo caspica
Common Name:	Lotus, Indian lotus, 莲, 荷花

Full Sun

Lots of Water

Fruit or Vegetable

Herb or Spice

Fragrant Plant

Ornamental Flowers

Shrub

Name

Family Name
Genus Epithet
Species Epithet
Infraspecific Epithet
Name Status (botanical)
Synonyms
Common Names
Comments

Classifications and Characteristics

Plant Division	Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon)
Plant Growth Form	Shrub
Lifespan (in Singapore)	Perennial

Mode of Nutrition

Autotrophic

Biogeography

Native Distribution	Tropical Asia and northeast Australia
Native Habitat	Aquatic (Freshwater Pond / Lake / River)
Preferred Climate Zone	Tropical

Local Conservation Status

Non-native

Description and Ethnobotany

Ethnobotanical Uses	Edible Plant Parts : Edible Leaves, Edible Flowers, Edible Stems, Edible Seeds, Edible Storage Organs Food (Fruit or Vegetable): The young leaves, leaf stalks and flowers are eaten as vegetables. The "roots" (rhizomes) are used as a vegetable in soups, stir-fried. Young lotus stems are used as a salad ingredient. The lotus seeds (called lian zi in Chinese) can be eaten raw or dried and popped like popcorn. They can be boiled with dried longans to make a dessert., or made into a paste. Lotus seed paste is the most common ingredients used in pastries such as mooncake and rice flour pudding. The large leaves are used to wrap food such as in lotus rice. (Herb or Spice): The stamens are dried and made in to herbal tea called lianhua cha in Chinese. Medicinal: The entire plant is used medicinally the Chinese. The plant itself is prescribed as an antidote for mushroom poisoning. The rhizomes or leaves are used with other herbs to treat sunstroke, fever, diarrhoea, dysentery, dizziness, vomiting of blood, hemorrhoids. 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. The flower stalks are used for excessive bleeding from uterus. Seeds are used as tonic. Cut - Dried Flower: The distinctive dried seed heads are widely used for decorative purpose and for dried flower arrangement.

Ethnobotanical Uses

Edible Plant Parts : Edible Leaves, Edible Flowers, Edible Stems, Edible Seeds, Edible Storage Organs
Food (Fruit or Vegetable): The young leaves, leaf stalks and flowers are eaten as vegetables. The "roots" (rhizomes) are used as a vegetable in soups, stir-fried. Young lotus stems are used as a salad ingredient. The lotus seeds (called lian zi in Chinese) can be eaten raw or dried and popped like popcorn. They can be boiled with dried longans to make a dessert., or made into a paste. Lotus seed paste is the most common ingredients used in pastries such as mooncake and rice flour pudding. The large leaves are used to wrap food such as in lotus rice. (Herb or Spice): The stamens are dried and made in to herbal tea called lianhua cha in Chinese.
Medicinal: The entire plant is used medicinally the Chinese. The plant itself is prescribed as an antidote for mushroom poisoning. The rhizomes or leaves are used with other herbs to treat sunstroke, fever, diarrhoea, dysentery, dizziness, vomiting of blood, hemorrhoids. 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. The flower stalks are used for excessive bleeding from uterus. Seeds are used as tonic.
Cut - Dried Flower: The distinctive dried seed heads are widely used for decorative purpose and for dried flower arrangement.

Landscaping Features

Desirable Plant Features	Ornamental Flowers, Fragrant (Flowers)
Landscape Uses	Pond / Lake / River
Thematic Landscaping	Water Garden

Plant Care and Propagation

Light Preference	Full Sun
Water Preference	Lots of Water
Plant Growth Rate	Moderate

Rootzone Tolerance	Waterlogged Soils
Transplanting Tolerance	Good
Propagation Method	Seed

Foliar

Mature Foliage Colour(s)	Green
Mature Foliage Texture(s)	Rough
Prominent Young Flush Colour(s)	Green

Foliar Type	Simple / Unifoliate
Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio	4.5 (Shrub & Groundcover - Dicot)

Floral (Angiosperm)

Flower Colour(s)	White
Flower Location	Terminal

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Master ID	964
Species ID	2258
Flora Disclaimer	The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.

Species record last updated on: 07 September 2021.