Lotus

Lotus is a water plant found in any warm, stagnant sweet water body. It has multilayered, often multicolored flowers. Because of this, the plant is often used as a decoration element in artificially created lakes and fountains.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The plant is rooting in the first few soil layers of the lake. The flower and leaf stems go out from the root in a circular formation to a length of up to two meters. The leaves and flowers lie on the water. Flower heads can reach a diameter of 25cm, and the leaves a diameter of 60cm.

Genetics and Reproduction

The plants' seeds form within the flower stamp while the flower is blooming. The flower stamp will dry at the end of the blooming phase creating a protective seed pot. In this stage, the seeds can be harvested or sink to the bottom of the lake forming new plants if left as is.

Growth Rate & Stages

Lotus goes through multiple stages within the year - resting, growing, blooming, withering, and resting, or if it is an old plant passing away. It grows quickly within the growing season while the growth stagnates within the resting season.

Resting

The resting stage settles in the cold winter months of the year. It is a timeframe in which the plant cuts down its energy needs to survive the colder months and to start with a fresh energy supply into the growing season.

Growing

As the title already implies, the plant collects fresh energy within the growing season and slowly begins to grow. Towards the end of this season, Lotus forms flower buds.

Blooming

The previously formed flower buds crack open, revealing the big multilayered, sometimes multicolored flower. It will continue to bloom and develop new flowers until the blooming season move on to the withering season.

Withering

Seed pots will sink to the bottom of the water body, making space for new flowers in the blooming stage. The outer walls of the seed pot will decay, distributing the formed seeds within the water. Within the withering season, the growth rate is stagnating.

Passing Away

Older plants will pass away after the end of the withering season, sink to the bottom, and slowly decay within the water.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

All parts of the plant, namely the flowers, seeds, roots, leaves, and seeds, are edible and can be processed into food items.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Lotus can grow in any kind of stagnant sweet water body with an average temperature of 20°C in the summer months. It is often found in lakes or non-flowing water pockets of rivers.

Average Height

1m; the stems can reach a maximum height of 2m