NELUMBO NUCIFERA Gaertn. (NELUMBONACEAE) Sacred Lotus, Lotus Root, Indian Lotus, Hasu

This chapter provides information on the uses, folk medicine, chemistry, germplasm, distribution, ecology, cultivation, harvesting, yields, energy, and biotic factors of Sacred Lotus. Rhizomes and seeds of the sacred lotus are frequently used for food, especially in the Orient. The small scale-like leaves on the rootstock, up to 30 cm long, are used as food in some countries. Plants are grown by Chinese and Japanese for the edible tubers, which are used much like sweet potatoes, roasted, steamed, or pickled. The lotus is used in folk remedies for corns, calluses, and tumors, and/or indurations of the abdomen, cervix, ear, limbs, kidney, liver, and spleen. In China, the leaf juice is used for diarrhea or decocted with licorice for sunstroke or vertigo. Sacred lotus is reported to tolerate bacteria, frost, and waterlogging. Many varieties are cultivated in various parts of the world.