Essay on Lotus

Essay on Lotus

Essay on Lotus: Lotus is one of the most beautiful flowers on the earth. Lotus is the favorite flower of many people for its beauty and fragrance. The word “Nelumbo” comes from the Sinhala word “nelum”. Lotus varieties are classified into three types according to their usage-flower lotus, seed lotus and rhizome lotus. Buddhists and Hindus believe that the lotus is a sacred flower.

Essay on Lotus for Students and Children

Introduction

Lotus is one of the most beautiful aquatic flowers. The scientific name of lotus is Nelumbo nucifera. There are two species of lotus namely Nelumbo nucifera and Nelumbo lutea. The word “Nelumbo” comes from the Sinhala word “nelum”. According to Egyptian mythology, the lotus is related to the sun and it is believed that the lotus gave birth to the sun. Some countries like Japan, Korea and China celebrate “Lotus Festival”.

Description of Lotus

Lotus flower is a big flower that grows in water. The lotus plant grows well in nutrient rich loamy soil up to 8ft deep in the water. The roots are planted in the soil at the bottom of the pond, river or flooded land. Lotus plants also grow from seeds or buds. The seeds can germinate at about 13°C. The lotus flowers bloom on thick long stems which have air space. The leaves are round in shape and around 50cm to 80cm in diameter. The flower will be around 30cm to 35cm in diameter. The lotus seed is mostly oval in shape and about 1.3cm to .7cm in length. In the northern hemisphere, the growing season of the lotus flowers is from April to September. The colors of the lotus flowers are red, pink, white etc. Lotus flowers have many petals. “Qian Ban Lian”, a Chinese variety of lotus flower which has about 3000 to 4000 petals and “Ohmi Myoren” which is a Japanese variety with 2000 to 5000 petals. According to researchers, lotus plants have the ability to control its flower temperature within a narrow range.Lotus seeds can be effective even after long dormancy. A lotus seed which was about 1300 years old, found from a dry lake in northeastern China was successfully germinated in 1994. Lotus varieties are classified into three types according to their usage-flower lotus, seed lotus and rhizome lotus.

Habitat of Lotus

Lotus plant grows well in the floodplains and delta areas. Lotus are found in northern and central India as well as northern Indonesia, Asia, southern India, Sri Lanka, New Guinea, northern and eastern park of Australia. The lotus species Nelumbo nucifera is found in East Asia, Southeast Asia as well as South Asia. The lotus species Nelumbo lutea   is found in the Caribbean and North America.

Uses of Lotus

Lotus is a sacred flower to Hindus. Hindu deities Vishnu, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kuber are usually seen seated on lotus flowers. Lotus flowers are used as a decorative item as well as worship. In Korea, people use dried petals of white color lotus to make lotus flower tea.Nelumbo nucifera can remove polluting compounds and heavy metals. The different parts of the lotus plant like leaves, flower, seed, stem and root are used to make several folk medicines, Chinese traditional medicines as well as Ayurvedic medicines. Lotus flowers have the ability to stop bleeding, diarrhoea, fever, cholera etc. Rhizomes and lotus seeds are eaten by the people of Asia, Oceania, America and many other countries. Lotus rhizomes is an antibiotic, anti-obesity. The lotus seeds contain vitamins, minerals, proteins, albumin, essential amino acids and many other components. Lotus honey is an important medicine for eye diseases.

Conclusion

Lotus is one of the most beautiful flowers on the earth. Lotus is the national flower of India as well as Vietnam. Buddhists and Hindus believe that the lotus is a sacred flower and a symbol of purity, wealth and fertility.