![]() Some cultivated varieties have extraordinary numbers of petals. The leaves may be as large as 80 cm (31 in) in diameter, while the showy flowers can be up to 30 cm (12 in) in diameter, but fourteen inches (35 centimeters) has been frequently reported. The leaf stalks (petioles) can be up to 200 cm (6 ft 7 in) long, allowing the plant to grow in water to that depth, The peltate leaf blade or lamina can have a horizontal spread of 1 m (3 ft 3 in). The flowers are usually found on thick stems rising several centimeters above the leaves. The lotus roots are planted in the pond or river bottom soil, while the leaves float on the water's surface or are held well above it. Nelumbo nucifera is also known as Egyptian bean. The lotus is used as a symbol by India's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It is the national flower of India and Vietnam. 3,000 years) of being cultivated for its edible seeds, and it is commonly cultivated in water gardens. Today the species also occurs in southern India, Sri Lanka, virtually all of Southeast Asia, New Guinea and northern and eastern Australia, but this is probably the result of human translocations. It has a very wide native distribution, ranging from central and northern India (at altitudes up to 1,400 m or 4,600 ft in the southern Himalayas ), through northern Indochina and East Asia (north to the Amur region the Russian populations have sometimes been referred to as " Nelumbo komarovii"), with isolated locations at the Caspian Sea. Therefore, the Chinese regard the plant as a symbol of longevity. Under favorable circumstances, the seeds of this aquatic perennial may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from seeds 1,300 years old recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China. During flood conditions, sediments containing these seeds are broken open, and the dormant seeds rehydrate and begin a new lotus colony. While some sprout immediately, and most are eaten by wildlife, the remaining seeds can remain dormant for an extensive period of time as the pond silts in and dries out. Stands of lotus drop hundreds of thousands of seeds every year to the bottom of the pond. Lotus plants are adapted to grow in the flood plains of slow-moving rivers and delta areas. It is sometimes colloquially called a water lily, though this more often refers to members of the family Nymphaeaceae. Nelumbo nucifera, also known as sacred lotus, Laxmi lotus, Indian lotus, or simply lotus, is one of two extant species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. British 19th Century, East Indian Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), late 19th century, National Gallery of Art, NGA 52325
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