LOTUS FLOWER
Nelumbo nucifera
DESCRIPTION
The Sacred Lotus is a spectacular aquatic plant with large pink flowers and enormous round leaves that rise above the water. The flowers have many pink petals surrounding a bright yellow centre. Unlike waterlilies, lotus leaves and flowers are usually held well above the water on strong stems.
QUICK FACTS
• Lotus flowers can be pink, pale pink or almost white.
• Their huge leaves can rise well above the surface of the water.
• Water tends to bead up and roll off the surface of lotus leaves.
• The distinctive seed head contains individual seeds in small holes.
• Lotus flowers attract a variety of pollinating insects.
• The underground stems, called rhizomes, allow the plant to survive and produce new growth.
• Lotus plants have important cultural and traditional uses across many parts of their range.
WHERE IT LIVES
Lotus grows in freshwater wetlands, billabongs, lagoons and floodplains across northern Australia. It thrives in shallow, slow-moving water and can form large stands during the wet season and into the early dry season.
WHAT IT EATS
Lotus plants make their own food using sunlight through photosynthesis. Their roots grow in the mud beneath the water, where they absorb water and nutrients.
PETE'S PHOTO STORY
Lotus flowers are always beautiful to photograph, but sometimes it is the little things happening around them that make the picture. I photographed this pink lotus surrounded by its enormous green leaves while two insects were flying around the flower. Their movement added another part of the wetland story, showing how much life can be found around a single flower.