Aug 25 2013

Lotus fields in Russia

Turns out, in Russia There is lotus fields . It may seem incredible that such an exotic plant that usually grows in tropical countries, growing in Russia. Moreover, it is in Russia that the largest lotus field on the planet is located. It is located in the Astrakhan region in the delta of the Volga River, where the river diverges into many channels and branches and flows into the Caspian Sea. The area where lotuses grow here extends over a total of 5,000 hectares.

Lotuses were first discovered in the Volga delta more than two hundred years ago in Chulpansky Bay. Scientists are divided on how lotuses appeared here. Some believe that these lotuses in the Volga delta are relict plants that grew here millions of years ago, others believe that lotuses were brought here by merchants or Buddhist monks, and according to others, the lotus appeared in the Caspian Sea thanks to migratory birds.

In 1919, at the time of the creation of the Astrakhan Nature Reserve in the Volga delta, lotus thickets occupied a small area - 0.25 hectares. Gradually, as a result of a decrease in the level of the Caspian Sea and after the construction of the Volgograd hydroelectric power station, the Caspian territories became shallow, which led to their overgrowing with aquatic vegetation, including lotuses.

Astrakhan residents call the lotus the Caspian rose. The Caspian lotus is a type of nut-bearing (or Indian) lotus. Its flowers are pink, reach a height of up to 2 m, and a diameter of up to 30 cm, and have leaves with a diameter of up to 1.4 m. The flowering period of the lotus is July-August. On lotus fields Excursions are organized to admire their blossoms.

In the European part of Russia, lotus plantations grow on the Taman Peninsula in the Kuban estuaries. But here lotuses were bred on purpose. For the first time, they tried to grow the Caspian lotus on the Kuban estuaries in 1938. But the lotuses did not take root. They tried again in the 60s of the 20th century, and this time it worked, the lotuses took root in the Akhtanizovsky estuary of the Taman Peninsula. Now the Lotus Valley on Taman covers an area of ​​more than a hectare.

Excursion to the lotus fields in the Akhtanizovsky estuary.

In 2004, lotus seeds from the Astrakhan Nature Reserve were planted in the Volga-Akhtubinskaya Floodplain Natural Park. And in 2007 the first flowers appeared. This is how a lake of lotuses appeared quite recently near Volgograd.

Well, the most ancient lotus lakes and plantations in Russia are located in the south of the Far East in the lower reaches of the Amur, in the basins of the Ussuri, Bureya, Tunguska and Zeya rivers, in the lakes of the Khanka Plain and on Putyatin Island. Lotuses growing on Far East, named Komarov lotuses in honor of the Russian geographer and botanist who explored the flora of the Far East in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Komarov lotus, like the Caspian lotus, belongs to the nut-bearing lotus species. Lotuses in the Far East are relict; they grew in these territories even before the Ice Age, when the climate here was warmer. Over the centuries, the plant has adapted to survive in temperate climates and endure winter frosts.

Lotus Lake on Putyatin Island.

Komarov's lotus and Caspian lotus are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. You can't tear them, and it doesn't make sense, because... The petals of a plucked flower fall off after a few hours.

During the lotus blooming period, tourists not only from Russia , but people also come from abroad to see this miracle - blooming lotus fields , lakes and valleys.

P.S. All photos in the article "Lotus fields in Russia" taken from the Internet, if anyone recognizes their photographs, write to me, I will indicate the authorship.

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The Chinese are convinced: this flower grows not only on earth, but also in heaven, in paradise. The lotuses that adorn the heavenly lakes are actually the souls of people. Plants in which righteous souls are embodied always bloom and smell fragrant, but lotuses in which sinners find themselves wither quickly: the climate of paradise is categorically unsuitable for them.

This flower is admired, admired, and worshiped: after all, the lotus is a symbol of the gods. IN different religions it has its own meaning and means life, rebirth, purity, oblivion, peace, fertility, and some peoples consider it as the interaction of the male and female principles.

In reality, this incredibly beautiful flower is a perennial plant, belongs to the genus Dicotyledonous, is the only representative of the lotus family and comes in yellow or pink color (it is interesting that white, red and blue water lilies are also sometimes classified as lotuses).

These amazing plants grow only in water - in river deltas, in muddy channels, creeks, sometimes they can be seen high in the mountains (for example, in India this flower feels great at an altitude of one and a half kilometers).

Lotuses are heat-loving plants, demanding and do not grow everywhere (which is why they are included in the Red Book): yellow prefers water bodies of the Southern and Central America, Jamaica, Hawaiian Islands, while pink can often be seen in Asia, Japan, India, and has reached Australia. It also blooms in Russia - in the Volga delta, in the Far East, in Kuban, where on the Taman Peninsula there is an incredibly beautiful water garden: the amazing Lotus Valley.

A blooming lotus looks like this:

• Among the bright green leaves floating on the surface of the water there is a large flower, about 30 cm in diameter, always turned towards the sun. The smell of lotus flowers is not strong, but extremely pleasant;
• The plant has a yellow corolla surrounded by several rows of petals in delicate pink or yellow shades. The tone of the petal near the base is much richer than at the edge;
• The rhizome of the plant is thick, long (in some species the length can exceed 350 km) - the flower needs such dimensions in order to be able to reach the bottom and extract nutrients from the soil;
• The petals and leaves of the lotus are covered with a waxy coating, so under the sun's rays they glow and shimmer like mother-of-pearl, while water does not linger on them and rolls off like mercury; Above-water lotus leaves, about 70 cm long, rise several centimeters above those in the water; lotus leaves immersed in water have a scale-like shape;
• The seeds of the plant look like dark-colored nuts: they have a woody skin with a small hole for the embryo. Interesting fact: Seeds that were over a thousand years old were once discovered in the peat bogs of China. After they were planted, the flower sprouted and blossomed.

Representatives of the lotus family

Despite the fact that a blooming lotus happens different colors, there are only two species of representatives of the lotus family.

Nut lotus

The significance of the pink lotus is great because it means Buddha: when he was born, an incredibly beautiful rain of petals fell on the earth. beautiful plant. Subsequently, absolutely all significant events that took place in his life were marked by the appearance of heavenly petals. For Hindus, a pink lotus signifies a person's attempt to approach nirvana (Buddha was the first mortal to achieve this state).

Despite the fact that the Indian lotus is listed in the Red Book of Russia, the halo of its distribution is extensive: from the tropical and temperate regions of Asia to Australia.

The plant begins to bloom in the second half of summer and throughout the entire period its petals constantly change their color: if at first they are bright pink, then they gradually become white.

Despite the fact that this plant grows mainly only in warm countries, in the south of Russia there is a magnificently beautiful water garden; the pink lotus has so successfully taken root near the Akhatanizovsky estuary on the Taman Peninsula that it has formed an incredibly beautiful area called the Lotus Valley.

Lotus Valley is completely covered with floating green leaves. They are decorated with the most delicate pink flowers, opening at dawn and closing in the afternoon into a dense bud. The pink lotus blooms for about four to five days, after which the petals fall off. Due to the fact that the rhizome of the plant is constantly growing, roots, leaves and one peduncle appear at each node, thanks to which the Lotus Valley blooms until September.

Lotus yellow (American)

The yellow flower is common on the South American continent and the islands nearby. In terms of its characteristics, this species is similar to the Indian one, only the emergent leaves of the lotus are more durable, and the flower smells stronger.

Water lilies

Lotuses include white, red and even blue lotuses. The red lotus is a symbol of India (in books it symbolizes not only the original nature and purity of the heart, but is also the lotus of love, compassion, passion, in a word, its meaning contains all the properties of the heart). It is believed that the present lives in the rays of the Red Sun, and Buddha Shakmuni reigns over all things, whose throne is the Red Lotus.

But the ancient Egyptians believed that the white lotus symbolized sleep and sweet oblivion, since the Nile white lotus, unlike its relatives, opened only at night. Whereas the Chinese and Japanese still eat the candied roots of this water lily, believing that the white lotus will prolong their youth and preserve their beauty for as long as possible.

But the most important thing for the ancients (judging by the books) was the blue lotus - it symbolized immortality, since it was able to survive and continue to grow even after a long drought.

The blue lotus amazed with the ability of its seeds to remain viable for for long years(the blue lotus of the ancient Egyptians often decorated tombs and sarcophagi). The Chinese believed that the blue lotus was a symbol female beauty, and the Hindus went even further: their goddess Brahma, the creator of the universe, arose from a lotus flower.

In addition to the symbolic, the blue lotus also had practical significance: perfumes, various drinks and smoking mixtures have long been made from its petals. It is interesting that several years ago the blue lotus was included in the list of narcotic drugs in Russia and its petals and leaves were prohibited for consumption.

True, a year later the ban was lifted, but its characterization as a plant containing narcotic and psychotropic substances, and therefore requiring supervision, remained.

Medicinal plant

The flower, listed in the Red Book, contains not only narcotic, but also biologically active substances, protein, manganese, copper, oils, vitamin C. Therefore, doctors recommend using its tinctures as a tonic, cardiotonic, and general strengthening agent.

It is known that ancient healers used this plant even as a diuretic and hemostatic agent, prescribed for severe exhaustion or malaise to stimulate immune system humans - in a word, in the treatment of diseases, the blue lotus (as, indeed, other types of plants) was of no small importance.

Residents of Asian countries grow and use it as a vegetable: the roots are boiled, fried, pickled, eaten raw, and extracted starch, flour and oil. The leaves are used instead of asparagus, delicacies are prepared from the seeds, and even marmalade is made.

How to grow a symbol of the gods

Since this amazing flower is a plant that lives only in bodies of water, few people think of the idea of ​​growing lotuses at home. There are such lovers - moreover, among them there are experimenters who managed to grow this flower in a bathtub (however, then they still had to take the plant to the pond).

In order for the embryo to “wake up” faster, you need to saw off the peel from the blunt end of the lotus seed, and then place the seeds in a jar of water. In about five days, a sprout will emerge from the seed and begin to grow. Having reached the surface of the water, the sprout will begin to unfold, forming a small lotus leaf.

Plants should be planted in a pond only in the warm season, when the danger of late frosts has disappeared (it is advisable that the water temperature at a depth of 0.5 meters be about 30 degrees). Sprouts should only be planted in shallow water, carefully immersed in the soil to a depth of about six centimeters, so that the leaves remain on the surface (otherwise young plant, not being able to gain a foothold with roots, will drown).

When planting a plant, you need to take into account that the root can “fall asleep” for several years and wake up only when the roots appear for its development. favorable conditions. It is not for nothing that the lotus is a symbol of rebirth, because it managed to survive the Ice Age.

. 1 . Southern aquatic plant with large flowers, considered sacred in some countries. Sl. 18. Lotus. An Egyptian plant, divided into many generations... The most glorious of these, growing on the banks of rivers. Sl. . ist. 1 267. Pale lotus under the moon In a swamp, clothed in darkness Breathes the same mystery With our color, with the white color.

2. Gumilev Tales of Kings.

3. Southern Tree; its fruit. Sl. 18. Lotus one tree price of seventy kopecks. PM 18 175. // Sl. 18 11 234. The author depicts here an African fruit called Lotus. Arg. 2 275. // Sl. 18 11 234. Register of trees stolen from the greenhouse. Six orange trees.. one lotus tree.. three trees. PM 18 175. // Sl. 18 6 101. Clover variety

4. . Sl. 18. The Greeks called lotus a certain fragrant herb, much like our trefoil. Cantemir Anakr. on the island, through the tall reeds, an unchanging meadow can be seen, All covered with yellow-colored sedge and soft lotus. Vostokov St. 227. This type of symmetrical ornaments includes, for example, a palmette (lotus, palmette). 1907 Prang 3 40. , Lotus lotus oh, oh. Lotus crown, or lotus leaves of winners on. Emv. and symbol. 1788 pp. L. souls were offered mysteries not by lotus flowers or wine-berry leaves. 1834. Senkovsky Adventures... of the soul. // S. Soch. Baron Brambeus. - Lex. Toll 1864: lotus; Ush. 1938: l O/ tos; Sl. 18: Lotus 1733, Lotus 1747.

Historical dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian language. - M.: Dictionary publishing house ETS http://www.ets.ru/pg/r/dict/gall_dict.htm. Nikolai Ivanovich Epishkin [email protected] . 2010 .

See what "lotus" is in other dictionaries:

Lotus- (Lotus): Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars. Lotus is Christina Aguilera's 7th studio album. Team Lotus Formula 1 team 1954 1994. Lotus F1 Team has been a Formula 1 team since 2012. Lotus... ... Wikipedia

lotus- noun, number of synonyms: 2 car (369) lollipop (3) ASIS Dictionary of Synonyms. V.N. Trishin. 2013… Synonym dictionary

Lotus- An American company developing software for professional personal computers, including integrated systems Lotus 1 2 3, Symphony. [E.S. Alekseev, A.A. Myachev. English-Russian explanatory dictionary on computer systems engineering. Moscow 1993] Topics... ... Technical Translator's Guide

Lotus 1-2-3- (eng. Lotus 1 2 3) com. Applications for report cards for ibm PC Compatible computer systems packages from need integration based on management based on submissions and analytics graphics capabilities ... Macedonian dictionary

lotus- sent away the chair (chair) ... Brief dictionary anagrams

LOTUS (cars)- LOTUS (full. Group Lotus) is a British company specializing in the production of sports and racing cars, located in Norwich (Norfolk), since 1996 owned by the Malaysian concern Proton (see PROTON (company)). The company was founded in 1953... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

LOTUS (company)- LOTUS (Lotus developments; Lotus Developments), structural subdivision American corporation IBM (see IBM) since 1995, developer of software applications for personal computers. Lotus's head office is located in Cambridge (... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

LOTUS (team)- "LOTUS" (eng. Lotus Lotus), an English team that competed in Formula 1 auto racing (see FORMULA 1 (automobile)) in 1958 1994, representing the company Lotus Engineering (see LOTUS (cars)). The company was founded by Anthony Colin Chapman in... encyclopedic Dictionary

Lotus (operation)- Operation Lotus (Indian: Operasi Seroja) to capture East Timor was carried out by Indonesia in 1975. Contents 1 Background 2 Motivation of Indonesia ... Wikipedia

Lotus (car racing team)- Lotus ... Wikipedia

Books

• Sports cars. The Illustrated Encyclopedia, Rob De La Rive Box. The encyclopedia "Sports Cars" presents readers with an overview of cars of the 50-60s of the twentieth century, when race tracks cars such as Ferrari and Lamborghini competed. In the book…

From the history: one of the most beautiful aquatic plants on our planet, this is, of course, the lotus, the “non-lumbo nymph,” a brilliant beauty for whom there are no rivals in the waters of the whole world, the rightful mistress of all flowers, which in front of her are the same as twinkling stars in front of the moon in full radiance.” These words were written in the Bulletin of Natural Sciences for 1856 by the botanist S.I. Gremyachensky about the lotus, a sacred plant among representatives of various religions in the countries of Central and Southeast Asia.

It should be noted that the sacred lotus of the ancient Egyptians, from which the god Ra was born and which served as the throne for Isis and Osiris, is a different plant, this is the famous Nile water lily (Nymphaea lotos).

A sacred plant of the East, the lotus was worshiped in the East for many centuries; it occupied an honorable place in religious rites, traditions and legends, as evidenced by numerous monuments of writing, architecture and art. The mythopoetic tradition of Ancient India represented our land as a giant lotus blooming on the surface of the waters, and paradise as a huge lake overgrown with beautiful pink lotuses, where righteous, pure souls live. The white lotus is an indispensable attribute of divine power. Therefore, many Indian gods were traditionally depicted standing or sitting on a lotus or holding a lotus flower in their hand. Buddha sits on a lotus and Brahma rests. Vishnu, the demiurge of the universe, holds a lotus in one of his four hands. “Lotus goddesses” are depicted with a lotus flower in their hair. A copious rain of lotuses fell from the sky at the moment of Buddha's birth, and wherever the divine newborn set foot, a huge lotus grew.

In China, the lotus was revered as a sacred plant even before the spread of Buddhism. Thus, one of the eight immortals, the virtuous maiden He Xin-gu, was depicted holding in her hands the “flower of open heartfulness” - a lotus. The theme of the “western paradise” - the lotus lake - was widespread in Chinese painting. Each lotus growing on this lake corresponds to the soul of a deceased person. Depending on the virtue or sinfulness of a person’s earthly life, lotus flowers either bloom or wither.

Why do people worship this plant both in ancient times and today? Maybe the reason is that its flowers are amazingly beautiful and always turned towards the sun? Or maybe it was that it gave people tasty food and a cure for many diseases. How medicinal plant the lotus was known in China several thousand years before new era. In traditional Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, Arabic, and Tibetan medicine, all parts of the plant were used to prepare medicines - whole seeds or their large mealy germs, receptacle, petals, pedicels, stamens, pistils, leaves, roots and rhizomes.

Nowadays, various biologically active substances, mainly alkaloids and flavonoids, have been found in the plant. Lotus preparations are used as a tonic, cardiotonic, and general tonic. In addition, lotus is a valuable food and dietary plant. In the countries of Southeast Asia, it has long been used in food and is specially grown as a vegetable. The rhizomes are eaten raw, boiled, fried, and pickled for the winter. Soup is made from the roots, starch and oil are obtained. Young leaves are eaten like asparagus. The seeds are eaten raw and candied as a delicacy; pieces of rhizomes are also candied - a kind of “marmalade” is obtained. Flour is prepared from seeds and rhizomes. Even the stamens and stems are eaten.

Description: on globe There are two types of lotuses: L. nucifera (Nelumbo nucifera), an inhabitant of the Old World, is a well-known aquatic plant. The border of its range in the north runs along the Amur River basin, and in the south it descends to the tropics of Northern Australia. The second species - L. yellow, or American (N. lutea) is common in the New World.

Caspian lotus- Nelumbo caspica. There are different hypotheses regarding the appearance of lotus in the Caspian Sea. Some researchers believe that the lotus has been preserved here as a relict plant since the Tertiary period. According to others, the lotus was brought to these places by traveling merchants or Buddhist monks - Buddhism is known to be practiced in neighboring Kalmykia. It was even suggested that the lotus was brought to the Caspian Sea by migratory birds. The lotus in the Caspian Sea is called the Caspian rose, Astrakhan rose, Chulpan rose, since it was first discovered in the Chulpan Bay. In 1764, St. Petersburg professor of botany I.P. Falk sent nuts from an unknown plant from the mouth of the Volga to Sweden to Carl Linnaeus, who identified this plant as a lotus based on the material he had previously described from India. The Caspian lotus grows in ilmen-delta lakes, in bays at the seaside, along the banks of numerous channels in shallow waters with well-warmed water. In years when the water level drops significantly, the lotus often ends up on land, but continues to develop normally and does not freeze out even in frosty and little snow winters. The lotus blooms in July - early August, and the fruits ripen in September. Delicious lotus nuts have always attracted local residents, who collected them in immoderate quantities and not only ate them themselves, but also fed them to poultry and pigs. TO end of the 19th century centuries, lotus thickets in the Volga delta began to disappear. In 1919, the Astrakhan State Reserve was created, and under the influence of the reserve regime, the areas occupied by lotus expanded significantly. However, in some places, as a result of human activity, the lotus is disappearing. Photo by Kirill Tkachenko

Lotus Komarova- Nelumbo Komarowie In the Far East, the Komarov lotus grows in the Amur basin along the lower reaches of the Ussuri River, in Lake Malaya Khanka, where it occupies large spaces. It is preserved here as a tertiary relic, a living fossil from past geological eras when the climate in the area was warmer. The lotus adapted to local conditions and became a frost-resistant plant. Usually, the layer of silt in which the rhizomes overwinter does not freeze and the temperature of the bottom layer of water does not fall below +4 C. If the reservoir freezes completely, which sometimes happens, the lotus rhizomes die. The photo shows the fruits of the Komarov lotus. Photo by Knyazhev Valery

The northernmost area where lotus can grow in open ground is the lower reaches of the Zeya, which flows into the Amur near Blagoveshchensk (about 50° N). To the west, this border runs approximately through Karaganda, Kamyshin, Kharkov, Kyiv, Lvov. To the north, its cultivation will be hampered by a short growing season, insufficient solar insolation and low water temperature. It is probably possible to successfully grow lotus in reservoirs fed by warm waste water from power plants.

Lotus can be grown both in natural and artificial reservoirs - pits filled with water, tubs, concrete pools.

In Europe, lotus began to be grown as ornamental plant from the end of the 18th century. It was planted in greenhouses, and, where the climate allowed, in open reservoirs of gardens and parks. Professionals and skilled gardeners are quite successful in growing lotus. Lotus grows well at a water temperature of 25-30 C; it requires a long growing season and constant sunlight.

In artificial open reservoirs, special soil is prepared for lotus, consisting of silt, sand and a small amount of clay. A 10-centimeter layer of sand (pebbles) is poured onto the bottom, and 40-60 cm of soil is placed on it. It is desirable that the water be clean, soft, and with low flow, but the lotus grows well even in standing water. If it is grown in small pond or an aquarium, then water (settled, rainwater) is periodically added, and sometimes it is completely replaced.

IN closed ground Lotus is most often bred in greenhouses of botanical gardens - in aquariums or special pools.

Lotus is propagated by seeds and division of rhizomes in March-April. The hard shell of the seeds is cut with a file, then the seeds are placed in a jar of warm water and placed in sunny place. After a few days, the seed shell bursts, small leaves appear one after another, and after 20 days, thin roots appear. Young plants are planted either directly into a pond, if the water is already warm enough, or in pots that are placed in a container of water. The initial water level is maintained within 6 cm, then as the plants grow, they are transplanted into larger containers, and the water level is increased to 20-40 cm. Lotus leaves should float on the surface. At great depths and shaded places, the lotus does not bloom. In the first year, seedlings usually develop only floating leaves; in the second and sometimes third year, surface leaves also grow and buds form. With good care and favorable conditions, for example, in the south, the plant blooms in the year of planting. Sowing can begin not only in spring, but also in summer.

If all these conditions are met, from May to July many leaves are formed on the plant, and flowers appear in late July - early August. In some countries - Korea, northern China, Germany, water from reservoirs where lotus is grown is drained in winter, and the bottom of the reservoir is covered with a thick layer of leaves or some kind of insulation to protect the plants from freezing. In the Nikitsky Botanical Garden they use wooden boxes(50Х50Х Х70 cm). They are filled with nutritious garden soil mixed with sand. To protect the ground from erosion, a layer of crushed stone or gravel is poured on top. The boxes are placed in a concrete pool with a fountain.

IN middle lane In Russia in winter, it is preferable to store it in a cellar in a box with damp sand at a temperature of about 10 ° C.

Lotus yellow, or American- Nelumbo lutea Distributed in the New World. It is found in North and South America, the Antilles and Hawaiian Islands. In the Eastern Hemisphere, it is grown only in botanical gardens. Information about the culture of l. very little yellow. It is known from the literature that it should be kept in a pool at a temperature no higher than 20°C, since in more warm water it doesn't bloom. The introduction of yellow lotus was successful in Kuban. Seeds were obtained from the botanical gardens of Sukhumi, Dushanbe, Tashkent and Sochi. Sown in shallow water in the spring, they sprouted well and in mid-May (10-15 days later than Indian L.) floating leaves appeared on the surface of the water. The next year, floating leaves appeared on the seedlings already in early May. Emerging leaves developed in June, buds developed in July, and flowers about 20 cm in diameter began to bloom in September. By the end of October, more than 60 mature nut seeds were collected. The water temperature in the reservoir repeatedly increased to 25-35° during the summer, and yet the plants bloomed and fruited profusely. IN further development leaves, buds, flowering and fruit ripening in l. yellow also occurred later than in L. Indian Only air leaves his ones turned out to be more durable compared to the second type. In mass l. yellow represents a colorful picture. The surface of the water is covered with floating leaves, and above them rise on slender, tall (up to 1 m) petioles round, about 70 cm in diameter, aerial, above-water leaves. Numerous yellow or cream flowers open at sunrise. They are more aromatic than those of l. Indian By midday the petals close into a dense bud. This is repeated for 4-5 days, and then the petals fall off. The surface of the leaves and flowers are covered with a thin waxy coating. Fruits of l. yellow, they resemble the bell of a garden watering can. On its surface, up to 25 round nuts with a hard shell about 1 cm in diameter ripen in cells. Germination lasts extremely long. The rhizome lies at a depth of 60 cm. Numerous roots, two leaves and a peduncle grow from each node. Thanks to the constant growth of rhizomes, the flowering of l. yellow continues until October-November. Currently, this species lives in the Kuban in two reservoirs: in the botanical garden of KSU and in the village of Maryanskaya. Photo from the magazine "Floriculture" - 1999 - No. 1

It is amazing beautiful plant known since ancient times. The beautiful water lily is the only representative in the lotus family. In Buddhism, and not only, the lotus is a sacred flower - a symbol of purity. Growing from muddy swamp water, the plant turns into clean beautiful flower, facing towards the sun. Its seeds represent a symbol of life due to their longevity. Noticing that the lotus blossoms when the sun sets, the Egyptians assumed that such a phenomenon had some mysterious connection with the celestial bodies and their movement.

It is known that botanist Jane Shen-Miller was able to germinate the seeds of a plant that had lain for several centuries at the bottom of a long-dried reservoir. The seeds sprouted, and scientists determined that one of the grains was over 1,200 years old! This article will present a plant - the nut-bearing lotus. But first, let's look at all the types.

Types of lotus

• Yellow lotus, or American lotus, is common in the South and North America. The name of the flower itself speaks about its color.
• Walnut, or Indian, is found in China and India. Its fragrant flowers have a beautiful pink color. The fruits of this lotus are shaped like the bell of a watering can. When fully ripe, small nuts appear in them.

General information about lotus blossoms

At the very beginning, the color of the petals of a lotus flower is bright pink, then it gradually fades, and the flowering thickets acquire a wide variety of pink shades.

There is a tradition (as with cherry blossoms) to admire the lotus during its blossoming, which lasts only 3 days. Then the beautiful petals fall off, after which the seed box is exposed. The seeds fall to the bottom of the reservoir, where they can lie for quite a long time.

Nut-bearing lotus: description of the flower

The plant is the most beautiful and largest representative of the coastal flora. During its flowering period, magnificent pink flowers rise to a height of up to 2 meters above the surface of the water and, against the backdrop of bright green leaves, present a delightful and indescribable sight.

The lotus flower is large (diameter is approximately 30 cm), semi-double, standing on a high peduncle. Its color ranges from white to scarlet. It is similar in shape to a water lily, only its petals are wider and less pointed. When the inflorescence blooms completely, a flat pistil 5-10 cm in size opens in it, and stamens with yellow anthers are located around it.

Nut lotus has a flower that closes at night and has a rather pleasant aroma. One inflorescence produces several large (up to 15 mm) seeds, the dense shell of which, when the fruit is fully ripe, protects the plant embryo from low temperatures and drying out. These seeds (nuts) have a rather pleasant taste.

Leaves and rhizomes

Nut lotus has two types of leaves (see photo below).

• The floating leaves have a flat, rounded shape. They are located both under the surface of the water and on the surface.
• The leaves are airy, rising above the surface up to 2 meters. Their shape is funnel-shaped, the surface with a waxy coating is dense. The leaf diameter reaches approximately 55 cm. The color is rich green.

The thickened and strong rhizome grows several meters around the plant. It contains microelements, vitamins, sugars in large quantities, proteins and fats. Even under unfavorable conditions they can persist for a long time. Along the entire root there are embryonic buds that give rise to new plants. Freezing and complete drying of the reservoir is detrimental to this plant.

Places of growth

It should be noted that the nut-bearing lotus is listed in the Red Book. This plant grows in standing and slowly flowing waters, mainly in tropical and temperate regions of southern Europe, Asia, and also on the islands Indian Ocean and in northern Australia. It is this type of lotus that has been used since ancient times in many countries. folk medicine. This plant is found in the tropics of both hemispheres of the Earth. It also grows in Russia - in the Volga River delta, in the Far East and in Transcaucasia.

Although the nut-bearing lotus is cultivated in many countries, the Red Book includes this relict plant in its lists. It has been preserved due to the fact that people have cultivated it for many millennia. There is an opinion that the lotus as a genus could die. The flower (both yellow and nut-bearing) grows in shallow water in small thickets on oxbow lakes, estuaries, lakes with silty soils (depth up to two meters) and well-warmed water.

Types and varieties

There are several types of nut-bearing lotus, which grow well in some parts of Russia.

• The Caspian is common in the Volga delta and reservoirs of the Kuban. The flower is pink and the leaves are green and large. This species is very similar to the Asian one, but it is slightly smaller in size and adapted to cold weather.
• Komarov's lotus is the most cold-climate resistant species. Grows in the Far East and Primorsky Krai of Russia. This plant has large emergent leaves and white-pink flowers. It overwinters well in a thick silt layer, but dies when the soil freezes.

• American is the only species with yellow flowers. Grows in the tropics of America. It was initially grown only in greenhouses, but propagation by seeds helped to successfully cultivate the flower in Kuban and Sochi. Today this type is very popular.

Useful properties and applications

The nut-bearing lotus blooms in July-August, the fruits fully ripen in September. Its large and hard seeds resemble a nut in taste. They are edible. Nuts are widely used in cooking, and lotus roots in Asian cuisine are considered a delicacy and are consumed only on holidays.

Beneficial properties of lotus nut:

• diuretic;
• astringent;
• soothing;
• antipyretic;
• anti-burn;
• hemostatic;
• strengthening;
• antitoxic.

In folk medicine, lotus is used to treat liver and heart diseases, skin lesions, burns and diarrhea. The seeds are used for insomnia and excessive anxiety. Decoctions with rhizomes are useful for nervous exhaustion, convulsions, fever, bleeding and in the treatment of diseases of the spleen. These infusions are also used for snake and scorpion bites. Herbal infusions with lotus leaves used in treatment gynecological diseases(including cancer), etc. In cosmetology, lotus is used in preparations that cleanse, moisturize and give the skin elasticity and firmness.

Conditions for artificially growing lotus

Nut lotus can be grown artificially. Below are the basic conditions necessary for growing this plant.

• A non-freezing reservoir is required. Its depth should be 1.5-2 meters. Maintaining the water temperature at this level should not fall below 4 degrees so that the plant does not die.

• A considerable layer (more than 50 cm) of nutritious soil at the bottom of the reservoir is required. This is necessary for good and powerful root development. A well-silted bottom is additional protection against possible freezing.
• Good water heating and bright solar lighting required due to the long growing season of the plant.

Conclusion

How is the purity of a plant emerging from muddy muddy water maintained? The reason for this is the special glossy structure of the flower’s petals and its leaves. They are able to clean themselves by repelling water. This amazing plant deserves to continue its existence in nature. Otherwise, there would be much fewer such fabulously beautiful places on earth.