Nelumbo is a genus of aquatic plants with large, showy, water lily-like flowers commonly known as lotus or sacred lotus. The generic name is derived from the Sinhalese word Nelum . There are two species in the genus, the better known of which, N. nucifera , or "Sacred Lotus," is the well-known national flower of India and Vietnam.
There is residual disagreement over which family the genus should be placed in. Traditional classification systems recognized Nelumbo as part of the Nymphaeaceae (water lily) family, but traditional taxonomists were likely misled by evolutionary convergences associated with an evolutionary shift from a terrestrial to an aquatic life style. In the older classification systems it was recognized under the biological order Nymphaeales or Nelumbonales. Nelumbo is currently recognized as its own family, Nelumbonaceae, as one of several distinctive families in the eudicot order Proteales. Its closest living relatives are shrubs or trees (Proteaceae and Platanaceae).
These plants are unrelated to the bird's-foot trefoils and deer-vetches of the genus Lotus .
Species
- Nelumbo nucifera - Blue or Indian Lotus, also known as the Bean of India and the Sacred Water Lily of Hinduism and Buddhism. It is the national flower of India and Vietnam. Its roots and seeds are also used widely in Asian cooking.
- Nelumbo lutea - American Lotus (Eastern United States, Mexico, Greater Antilles, Honduras)
Classification
Most academic botanists recognize Nelumbo in the family Nelumbonaceae, comprising only the single genus, Nelumbo , with probably two species of aquatic plants, found in North America and Asia (and perhaps some adjacent areas, but widely cultivated elsewhere).
The leaves of Nelumbo can be distinguished from those of genera in the Nymphaeaceae as they are peltate, that is they have fully circular leaves. Nymphaea , on the other hand, has a single characteristic notch from the edge in to the center of the lily pad. The central seed pod of Nelumbo is also a distinguishing feature.
APG
The APG II system of 2003, recognizes Nelumbonaceae as a distinct family and places it in the order Proteales, in the eudicot clade.
Earlier classification systems
The Cronquist system of 1981, recognizes the family but places it in the water lily order Nymphaeales. The Dahlgren system of 1985 and Thorne system (1992) both recognize the family and place it in its own order, Nelumbonales.
Thermoregulation
N. nucifera regulates its temperature in order to benefit insects that are needed for it to reproduce. When the plant flowers, it heats its blossoms to above 86 °F (30 °C) for as long as four days. It does so, even when the air is as cool as 50 °F (10 °C). The heat releases an aroma that attracts certain insects, which fly into the flower to feed on nectar and pollen. But according to Roger Seymour and Paul Schultze-Motel of Australia’s University of Adelaide, the heat does more: It rewards insects with a stable environment that enhances their ability to eat, mate, and prepare for flight.
See Thermogenic plants.
Different views & aspects
External links
- Nelumbonaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, information retrieval. Version: 3 May 2006.
- Nelumbonaceae in the Flora of North America
- Nelumbonaceae in the Flora of China
- NCBI Taxonomy Browser
- links at CSDL
References
- ^ "Heat of Lotus Attracts Insects And Scientists". New York Times . 1996-10-01 . http://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/01/science/heat-of-lotus-attracts-insects-and-scientists.html .
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