name: Sacred Lotus

flavor_db_name_variants: sacred lotus

source: foodb

status: draft

food_db_id: Sacred lotus

id: 402

name_scientific: Nelumbo nucifera

description: Nelumbo nucifera, known by numerous common names including Indian lotus, sacred lotus, bean of India, or simply lotus, is one of two species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. The Linnaean binomial Nelumbo nucifera (Gaertn.) is the currently recognized name for this species, which has been classified under the former names, Nelumbium speciosum (Willd.) and Nymphaea nelumbo, among others. Names other than Nelumbo nucifera (Gaertn.) are obsolete synonyms and should not be used in current works. This plant is an aquatic perennial. Under favorable circumstances its seeds may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from that of seeds 1,300 years old recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China. A common misconception is referring to the lotus as a water lily (Nymphaea), an entirely different plant, as can be seen in the center of the flowers. Nymphaea lacks the structure that goes on to form the distinctive circular seed pod in the Nelumbo nucifera. Native to Tropical Asia and Queensland, Australia, it is commonly cultivated in water gardens. It is also the national flower of India and Vietnam. The flowers, seeds, young leaves, and "roots" (rhizomes) are all edible.

itis_id: 18400

wikipedia_id: Nelumbo_nucifera

picture_file_name: 407.jpg

picture_content_type: image/jpeg

picture_file_size: 77944

picture_updated_at: 2012-04-20T09:42:56.000Z

legacy_id: 434

food_group: Vegetables

food_subgroup: Other vegetables

food_type: Type 1

created_at: 2011-02-09T00:37:40.000Z

updated_at: 2019-05-14T18:05:24.000Z

creator_id: null

updater_id: null

export_to_afcdb: false

category: specific

ncbi_taxonomy_id: 4432

export_to_foodb: true

public_id: FOOD00402