| The Lotus or water lily
is an aquatic plant of Nymphaea with broad floating leaves and bright
fragrant flowers that grow only in shallow waters. The leaves and
flowers float and have long stems that contain air spaces. The big
attractive flowers have many petals overlapping in a symmetrical
pattern. The root functions are carried out by rhizomes that fan out
horizontally through the mud below the water. Lotuses, prized for their
serene beauty, are delightful to behold as their blossoms open on the
surface of a pond. In India the sacred lotus is legendary and much
folklore and religious mythology is woven around it. |
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