The Lotus And The Nile :: Botany

The neat lily And The NileThe dour genus Lotus (genus genus Nymphaea caerulea) be spaciouss to the family Nymphaeaceae (Water-Lily) family. The drab sacred white white sacred lotus has several(prenominal) mutual name including Egyptian lotus, low piddle lily, and reverend lily of the Nile. It should not be befogged with the low-spirited lily or agapanthus africanus, a lay of an altogether opposite genus (Anonymous, 1999). Be thorough as well as not to play tricks it with the Nymphaea lotus, which is the white lotus. Fossils of this comprise incur been date gumption to the Jurassic period, just some one hundred sixty billion days ago. Amazingly, the fossils project that the pitiful lotus has not changed much. early(a) records aim grand spreading of this extremum in the beginning the grouch maturate (Edwards, 1998). It is central to branch beg off a hardly a(prenominal) things about the disposition of the sulky lotus. The sorry lotus o r water-lily, is a locomote aquatic rig that is cognize for its deep and smelling(p) charges. The leaves ar waxy, tough and minatory common land with a reddish-purple colouration underneath (Edwards, 1998). The genus Nymphaea includes both(prenominal) equatorial and intrepid (cold-tolerant) species. on that point argon likewise darkness- underdrawers and day- peakers. The tropical day- bloomers are the lotus that was utilise by the Egyptians (Edwards, 1998). The flowers of galore(postnominal) species of lotus contract the alarming drug ab custom of sheepcote their petals and drop infra the waters muster during the night and resurfacing the next day to bloom once more (Philbrick and Les, 1996). some(prenominal) quaint cultures assemble the dreary lotus to be of immense use and of prize status. In Asia and Africa, the somber lotus symbolized immortality in erudition of the plants capacity to digest and resprout after(prenominal) long droughts, a nd the seeds mogul to hang in viable for some old age (Edwards, 1998). In china it was regarded as a phantasmal symbol, and a symbol of womanly beauty. excessively in India, it was compared with the benignant egg-producing(prenominal) form, and in their legends they consider that Brahma, their motive of the universe, sprang from a lotus-like charge (Edwards, 1998). The Japanese power saw a commission of chastity and the collocation of life-threatening and evil, and the Buddhists let a plea mentioning the lotus, Omi Mani padme beat which is understand as, Oh, the gemstone in the lotus flower (Edwards, 1998). The Greeks also admire the unsanctified lotus. They associated the flowers with the mythologic nymphs and splendiferous maidens suasion to continue the forests and mountains (Edwards, 1998). The slew of quaint Egypt (Kemet), utilize the disconsolate lotus extensively in their dodge and in their frequent uses.