White Indian lotus (Nelumbo nucifera 'alba)

This is a white variant of the Indian lotus. Indian lotus is a beautiful water lily with smooth, 60 cm blade and in this case white flowers.

The sacred lotus or Indian lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is an aquatic plant from the family Nelumbonaceae. The plant has a pink flowers and fruit, in the form of a cut cone. However, the plant is rooted in a marshy soil, without the leaves and flowers ever look muddy. Therefore, the lotus is a symbol of purity in Hinduism and Buddhism. The self-cleaning capacity of the leaves is known as the lotus effect.

The plant can be up to 5.5 m long, depending on the depth of the water above the mud in which the plant grows. The long stems are separate leaves and flowers. The flowers stabbing slightly above the leaves. They open up early in the morning and can be up to 23 cm in diameter. The plant blooms throughout the year. The rhizomes extend out so that a large surface may be completely overgrown by plants. The fruit of the plant is semi-conical, wherein the seeds are located in holes. If the seeds are ripe, the fruit bends down so that the seeds fall into the water. The seeds can remain good for a long time.

The flowers, seeds, roots and young leaves are edible, but the large leaves, which can exceed 60 cm in diameter are and rise above the water surface, are only used to wrap them food. One thinks that eating lotus can have a beneficial effect. The fruits are eaten after being stripped of their bitter seeds.

Seed description:
The seeds remain for a long time germinating. A 1,300 year old seed from China was able to germinate even! The seeds rub with a file, until the white-yellow inside of the seed is visible. Then put at 20 grC in a glass of water, wait until germination (about a week), while frequently changing the water. After germination, the seeds can be planted in the pond or tank with pond soil.

price 3.85