Nymphaea lotus, the white Egyptian lotus, tiger lotus, white lotus, or Egyptian water-lily, perennial, aquatic herb with stoloniferous, ovoid, erect, branched or unbranched rhizomes The stolons are slim. to nearly inodorous, nocturnal, broadly ovate,
Taxonomy
It was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. It is placed in the subgenus Nymphaea subg. Lotos,
Distribution
It grows in various parts of East Africa and Southeast Asia. Nymphaea lotus var. thermalis was believed to be a Tertiary relict variety endemic to the thermal waters of Europe, for example, the Peţa River in Romania. DNA analysis has concluded that Nymphaea lotus var. thermalis lacks distinctiveness from Nymphaea lotus and therefore cannot be classified as a relic population.
Ecology
Nymphaea lotus has the exceptional ability to persist through a dry season with rhizomes. It possesses the ability to reduce evaporation by up to 18 percent on most of the days during the summer period.
Conservation
Overall, Nymphaea lotus has been categorised as a species of Least Concern (LC). where it is cultivated under bright conditions in 22–28°C warm water.
As a symbol
The Egyptian lotus is the national flower of Egypt.
Claire Waight Keller included the flower to represent Malawi in Meghan Markle's wedding veil, which included the distinctive flora of each Commonwealth country.
As food
The tubers and seeds are used as food.
Chemistry
Other compounds include myricitrin, myricetin-3-(6′′-p-coumaroylglucoside), myricetin-3′-O-(6′′-p-coumaroyl)glucoside and two epimeric macrocyclic derivatives, nympholide A and B, myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside and penta-O-galloyl-β-<small>D</small>-glucose.