Nelumbus is a perennial aquatic plant of the Nymphaeaceae family. Also known as lotus, lotus, water hibiscus, etc. Lotus originally refers to its fruit, which is a well-proportioned lotus pod; later, both the flower and the fruit are generally called lotus. The fat part of its underground stem is called lotus root. It is widely cultivated in northern and southern China, and there are especially many varieties in Wuhan, Hangzhou and other places. Lotus prefers relatively stable still water and avoids flowing water with large fluctuations and strong waves. The water depth should generally not exceed 1.5 meters. The optimum temperature for stems and leaves during the growing season is 25 to 30°C. It requires sufficient sunshine and is not suitable for long-term cultivation indoors. The soil quality is clay loam rich in organic matter. Lotus seeds have a particularly long lifespan. Thousand-year-old lotus seeds can still germinate new plants. Lotus is most commonly propagated by divisions, but it can also be propagated by seeds. It is best to do it after the weather gets warmer in spring. The main diseases of lotus include rot, leaf spot, etc., and the insect pests include aphids, chafers, etc. Building ponds and planting lotus flowers, and building bridges and pavilions along the water to form a lotus viewing area are traditional Chinese garden techniques and are widely used in scenic spots and landscapes all over the country. It is also suitable for decorating garden water surfaces, purifying water bodies, or as potted plants. Lotus roots and lotus seeds are rich in nutrients and are suitable for eating raw or cooked. Lotus root can be processed into lotus root powder, candied fruit, etc. Lotus seeds have a calming effect and are often made into soups or preserves. They are a good nourishing food among Chinese people. Lotus petals and young leaves can be eaten. All parts of lotus can be used as medicine.
The scientific name of the lotus is Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn, and the lotus belongs to the Nelumbo genus of the Nymphaeaceae family.
Nelumbo Adans. is one of the earliest species among angiosperms. According to paleobotanist research on fossils, 135 million years ago, lotus plants were distributed in many water areas in the northern hemisphere. At that time, the giant reptile dinosaurs were in the late stages of rapid decline. They grew on the earth much earlier than the appearance of human ancestors (2 million years ago). According to "Paleobotany" (1965) by A.H. Christopherovich of the former Soviet Union, Nelumbinus fossils were found in the Cretaceous in the Arctic region of North America and the Amur River in Asia (i.e., Heilongjiang), and in the Oligocene of Europe, East Asia (Sakhalin), and Japan. and in Miocene strata. At that time, the temperature on the earth was warmer than now. There were about 10 to 12 species of lotus plants, distributed on all five continents. With the advent of the Post-Ice Age, the global temperature dropped, causing many plants to become extinct, while others were forced to migrate, completely breaking their original geographical distribution. Suffering from this disaster, only two species of Lotus plants survived, and their distribution range was reduced. The Chinese lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is distributed in Asia and northern Oceania, and the American lotus (N.lutea) has migrated to North America. Paleobotanists also pointed out that the Pleistocene to Holocene nectar excavated in Hokkaido and Kyoto, Japan The lotus fossil (2 million years ago) is similar to the modern Chinese lotus; the 10 million-year-old lotus leaf fossil excavated in the Qaidam Basin in China is similar to the modern Chinese lotus. In the 1970s, the Petroleum Exploration and Development Planning Institute of the Ministry of Petroleum and Chemical Industry of China and the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences recorded in the book "Early Tertiary Palynomorphs in the Bohai Sea Coastal Area": ??in Panshan, Liaoning Province, Beidagang, Tianjin, Kenli, Shandong Province, Pollen fossils of two kinds of lotus have been found in Guangrao and Cangzhou, Hebei Province. Fossils of Lotus plants have also been found in the strata of the Changchang Basin in Qiongshan, Hainan Island, my country, within the Tertiary tropical phytogeographic region. At present, the original wild lotus is still distributed in the lakes and swamps of Fuyuan, Hulin, Tongjiang, Shangzhi and other counties in Heilongjiang Province. The above shows that lotus is an ancient plant before the ice age. It, like metasequoia (melasequoiagly plostroboides), ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), Chinese tulip tree (Liriodendron chinese), and North American sequoia (Sequoia sempervirens), is not swallowed up by glaciers during the ice age. Representatives of surviving relict plants.
The mystery of the water-proof and self-cleaning lotus leaf
The surface of the lotus leaf is attached with countless micron-sized wax papilla structures. When observing these papillae with an electron microscope, you can see that there are many nanometer-sized particles with a similar structure attached to the surface of each micron-sized papilla. Scientists call this the micron-nano dual structure of the lotus leaf.
It is these tiny dual structures that make the contact area between the lotus leaf surface and water droplets or dust very limited, so the phenomenon of water droplets rolling on the leaf surface and taking away dust occurs. And the water does not stay on the surface of the lotus leaf.
Three Scientific Explanations of Broken Lotus Roots
When it comes to lotus, lotus root is naturally mentioned. Nederland belongs to the Nymphaeaceae family and is a perennial herb planted in shallow ponds. Its stem grows in the mud and metamorphoses into a rhizome, which is the lotus root, also known as lotus root. The lotus roots grow horizontally in the mud and absorb nutrients from the fibrous roots on the base stem nodes. Because lotus root meat is thick, crisp, tender and slightly sweet, contains a lot of starch and is rich in nutrients, it has been a favorite food of people since ancient times.
When we break the lotus roots, we can observe countless long white lotus root threads connecting the broken lotus roots. Why is there such a disconnection phenomenon?
This is about observing the structure of lotus root. It turns out that in order for plants to grow, the tissues that transport water and nutrients are called vessels and tracheids. These tissues extend in all directions within the plant body, and are as unobstructed in leaves, stems, flowers, fruits and other organs as blood vessels are in the animal body.
The inner wall of the plant's ducts will be particularly thickened in certain parts, forming various textures, some are ring-shaped, some are trapezoidal, and some are mesh-shaped. However, the thickened part of the duct wall of lotus root is continuous in a spiral shape, which is especially called a spiral duct. When the lotus root is broken, the thickened spiral part of the inner wall of the conduit breaks away and becomes a spiral filament with a diameter of only 3 to 5 microns. These filaments are like stretched springs and will not be broken within the elastic limit. They can generally be stretched to about 10 cm.
Lotus root silk is not only found in lotus roots, but also in lotus stems and lotus pods, but it is more slender. If you pick a lotus stem and fold it into sections as much as possible, it will look like a long series of connected small green "lanterns". What connects these small green "lanterns" is this kind of filament. . This filament looks like one filament, but if you observe it under a microscope, you will find that it is actually composed of 3 to 8 finer filaments, just like a cotton yarn is composed of countless cotton fibers.
The fine and lingering lotus root silk has attracted the attention of the ancients very early. In the poem "Going to the Wife" written by Meng Jiao of the Tang Dynasty, there is a line that "the thread in the lotus root of my concubine's heart is still connected even though it is broken." Later, people used the idiom "the lotus root is broken and the silk is connected" to describe that although the relationship is broken, the love is still connected.
The mystery of the germination of the four-thousand-year-old lotus
Ms. Shen is a botanist at the University of California, Los Angeles. She cultivates various plants in her laboratory, but she The most cherished ones are the two ancient lotus trees - they are both about 500 years old.
“Ordinary flowers can only survive for a few years.” Ms. Shen said, “These two ancient lotuses are very different. Their seeds have been baptized for hundreds of years, and now they are sprouting and blooming. "
The ancient lotus that has been sleeping for thousands of years has awakened
A few years ago, Ms. Shen visited the China Institute of Botany in Beijing. When she was about to return to the United States, her colleagues in Beijing gave her 7 Lotus seeds. "It is said that these seeds were excavated from the muddy lake bottom in the Northeast. I know they are very old, but I don't know the exact number." Ms. Shen said, "They did not attract enough attention from me at the time, but they were my experiments. Colleague John Sasson discovered their value."
John Sasson used a carbon isotope tester to identify the age of the ancient lotus seeds and found that they were left over from 1,200 years ago! What’s even more surprising is that when Ms. Shen cut off the outer shell of the seeds with a blade and soaked them in the culture solution, it didn’t take long for them to sprout!
Unfortunately, these seeds only survive for a short time after germination, but they have been listed as the oldest germinated seeds in the world.
Can a thousand-year-old seed germinate? ! This aroused great interest in Ms. Shen, and she decided to return to China again to search for these mysterious beings. At that time, Ms. Shen was already a well-known scholar in the international botanical community, and many scientists were willing to assist her in completing this research.
The road to science is not smooth
The second batch of ancient lotus seeds brought to the United States by Ms. Shen included 21 seeds, all of which were between 200 and 500 years old.
In 1997, Ms. Shen studied lotus cultivation technology in Germany. Through "minor surgery", the first seed germinated, but it only survived for less than 3 months.
“In the following three years, I cultivated three other seeds at the California Botanical Research Institute in the United States, but none of them bloomed – obviously, I used improper methods.” Ms. Shen recalled the past, "It seems that we were lucky later. Both seeds bloomed, and these are the two trees you see now. One of them is 408 years old, and the other is 466 years old."
Although Ancient lotuses bloomed, but they were many different from modern lotuses and could not fully adapt to the modern environment. "I am trying every means to enable them to thrive."
According to Ms. Shen, there should be a special reason why lotus can live so long; if the inner mechanism of lotus longevity can be discovered, human beings will There will be huge benefits, such as solving the problem of food storage, reducing the number of hungry people in the world, and potentially extending human life.
The key question is: What is the secret of lotus longevity? Ms. Shen said it may be related to radiation in the soil.
Gaiman Harbert is a chemist who is Ms. Shen’s work colleague. Hubbard discovered that the soil around the seeds of the ancient lotus emits slight radiation. "Although the intensity of radiation is very low, its effects after hundreds of years are quite amazing." Ms. Shen explained, "This may be the reason why the ancient lotus seeds can survive to this day."
It is reported that Ms. Shen currently has 15 ancient lotus seeds left, which she plans to provide to other scientists so that the scientific research project can be carried out around the world. "The lotus comes out of the mud and remains unstained, so it represents a special significance in Buddhism." Ms. Shen said, "Now we want to find out the secret of the longevity of the lotus and benefit all mankind."
In How can the ancient lotus that has been sleeping underground for thousands of years still bloom?
This is related to the structure of lotus seeds. The outer testa of lotus seeds is hard and dense, like a small "sealed bag", sealing the seeds inside, which can prevent the penetration of outside moisture and air, and also prevent the loss of moisture and air inside the seeds. Therefore, the life activities of lotus seeds are very important. Weak, equivalent to dormant state. This is an important reason why ancient lotus seeds still have vitality.
In addition, it is also related to the environment in which the ancient lotus seeds were buried. These ancient lotus seeds are buried in a peat layer about 30-60 cm deep, and the peat has good water-absorbing and moisture-proof properties. In addition, the peat layer is covered with a thick layer of soil, so the ancient lotus seeds are almost in a closed environment. middle. In such an environment, ancient lotus seeds did not have the conditions to take root and sprout, so they were able to preserve their vitality.
The reason why Wulian grows and reproduces so fast
6. Technological inventions derived from lotus
Since the 1970s, researchers engaged in plant classification research Wilhelm Bartlot, director of the Institute of Botany at the University of Bonn in Germany, and his team studied the surface structures of more than 10,000 plants through electron microscopy. This study finally revealed an interesting phenomenon: when you pour a few drops of glue on the lotus leaves, the glue will not stick to the leaves, but will roll off without leaving any traces. The leaves, which are covered with a very thin layer of wax crystals, are clean and this is the characteristic of a waterproof leaf surface. This phenomenon aroused Bartlot's curiosity, and he hypothesized that there was a causal relationship between water resistance and stain resistance. After hard work, he invented a new technology that produced a material with a completely waterproof surface and self-cleaning function. This is a new technology with a wide range of uses. It eliminates the need for people to worry about cleaning the tops and surfaces of buildings, as well as the cleaning of cars, airplanes and various transportation vehicles.
Lotus, also known as lotus, is a perennial aquatic perennial herbaceous plant of the Nymphaeaceae family. Its underground stem is called lotus root, which is edible, its leaves are used as medicine, its seeds are an excellent tonic, and its flowers are available for viewing. The ancients called lotus as whip rong, water hibiscus, water fungus, water rhizome, water dandelion, water bloom, etc. Its elegant names are Xike and Yuhuan. The unopened flower buds are called lotus and the bloomed flowers are called whip. They are among the top ten names in my country. One of the flowers.
According to the description of "Chinese Lotus Varieties Illustration", the bowl lotus refers to a flower that can bloom normally in a flower pot with a diameter of less than 26 cm. At the same time, it must have the following three indicators: the average flower diameter does not exceed 12 cm. , the average height of the vertical leaves does not exceed 33 cm, and the average diameter of the vertical leaves does not exceed 24 cm.
Wanlian is cultivated using the lotus root body as seed lotus root. In a growth cycle, it goes through the processes of germination, leaf expansion, flowering, fruiting, lotus root growth and dormancy. The period from the germination of lotus roots to the beginning of summer and Xiaoman is the budding stage. After the Spring Equinox, when the temperature rises above 10 degrees Celsius, the lotus root buds on the lotus roots begin to germinate. After the Qingming Festival, when the temperature reaches above 15 degrees Celsius, they begin to sprout and develop lotus root whips; when the temperature reaches above 20 degrees Celsius, the lotus root buds begin to sprout. , the main whip produces vertical leaves, and has a strong root system, which enhances the ability to absorb fertilizer.
The period from the growth of standing leaves to the emergence is the vigorous growth stage. In late June, the plum rain season enters, with more rain, high humidity, and high temperatures, which are most suitable for the growth of lotus roots. At this time, it enters the vigorous growth period. From then on, a vertical leaf will grow about every 5-7 days, and one leaf will be taller than the other. The main whip and side whip will also grow quickly, and new side whips will continue to be born and bud and bloom. At this stage, be careful not to be invaded by strong winds to avoid breaking leaves and damaging roots.
Cultivation Containers
Currently, many varieties of bowl lotus are still too tall, so only a few varieties can be planted in vegetable bowls and soup bowls sold on the market. At present, there are no flowerpots specially designed for growing lilies on the market, and common plain-fired flowerpots (i.e., mud pots and tile pots) are prone to water seepage, so they are not suitable as containers for cultivating lilies. Glazed pots, porcelain pots, and purple sand pots are not easy to seep out and can be used as pots for cultivating bowl lotus. However, this type of basin usually has a bottom hole, which can be blocked with cement and sand or rubber gasket when selected. The shape and color of the flowerpot should be coordinated with the bowl of lotus to make it integrated. Square and round basins are available. The diameter of the flowerpot is about 20 cm and the depth is about 15 cm. Those who are planting bowl lotus for the first time can enlarge it appropriately so that it will bloom more easily.
The cultivation site
Receives 7-8 hours of light every day, which can promote more flower buds and continuous flowering. It is most taboo to maintain the bowl lotus in the shade, and it cannot be cultivated indoors like indoor foliage plants. Insufficient light will cause the lotus leaves to become leggy and lose their green color, making it impossible to produce buds. When cultivating bowl lotus in the courtyard, the flower pot must be placed on the outer edge of a balcony with sufficient sunlight or a south-facing balcony. During the flowering season, if you need to put it indoors for viewing, you can go in early and go out late, or go in late and go out early. You should still maintain a certain amount of light every day. The bowl lotus needs sufficient light, but it also avoids sunny weather after rain.
Water lotus is an aquatic flower. It needs a lot of water during the growth process, but it is afraid of flooding the leaves, so the site should have easy access to water and drainage. Wan Lian is afraid of strong winds, so she chose a leeward location as much as possible.
Cultivation soil
Wanlian requires pond mud or rice field mud rich in humus as cultivation soil, and industrial contaminated soil should be avoided. Yellow mud has high viscosity, so the amount should be appropriate. Too much viscosity will affect the elongation of the lotus root whip and the expansion of the lotus root. The sandy soil is loose and not sticky enough, so it is easily damaged by wind and hinders the growth of the root system. Generally, yellow mud is used. It is appropriate to mix mud and sandy soil in a ratio of 7:3. If there is no sandy soil, yellow sand can be added, but the proportion should be slightly smaller. In the suburbs of cities, you can directly use garden soil from vegetable plots; in cities, you can also use spring potted flower repotting soil plus half of the yellow mud as cultivation soil.
Use about 20 grams of decomposed dry chicken manure or other fertilizers for each pot, mix it thoroughly with the pot soil as base fertilizer, remove impurities and gravel, remove small insects and earthworms in the soil, and then Place in a basin. The soil layer generally accounts for about 3/5 of the total pot volume.
Experiments by Zhao Jiarong from Wuhan Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences showed that using 100 parts of dry pond mud, 2 parts of bean cake water, 6 parts of plant ash water, 2 parts of pig and cow hoof water, 2 parts of bad hair water, and 1 part of bone meal The formula of 100% can produce good results when planting bowl lotus.
Cultivation temperature
Wanlian is a temperature-loving plant and has strict temperature requirements. Generally, it begins to germinate at 8-10 degrees Celsius, and the lotus root whip begins to elongate at 14 degrees Celsius.
Recalling that Lang Lang is not here, I look up at Feihong ⑧. Hong Fei is all over Xizhou, watching Lang go to the brothel. The building is so high that you can't see the top of the railing. The railings have twelve curves, and the hanging hands are as clear as jade. The rolling curtain sky is high, and the sea water shakes the sky green⑨. The dream of sea water is long, you are worried and I am also worried. The south wind knows my wishes and blows my dreams to Xizhou.
Notes ① [Xizhou] Place name, unknown location. It is the place where men and women in this article are commemorated. ②〔下〕fall. The season of falling plum blossoms is the season that men and women in this poem commemorate together. ③〔Crow's young color〕Describes the hair as black and shiny. Crow chick, little crow. ④[Shrike] A songbird that starts singing in midsummer. ⑤ [Cui Dian] Jewelry made or inlaid with jade. ⑥[Lotus Heart] is a pun on "Lotus Heart", which means the heart of love. ⑦ [Completely red] means that it is so red that it is completely red. ⑧[Wang Feihong] Hope for a letter. The ancients had a legend about swan geese passing letters. ⑨ [The rolling curtain is high in the sky, and the sea water shakes the sky green] These two sentences seem to be reversed. It means that the blue sky on an autumn night is like the sea. The wind blows the curtains, and when you see the sky through the curtains, you feel like the waves of the sea. It is said that the river is called the sea here, and "sea water" refers to the river water. [Yuyou] far away. The sky and sea are boundless, so it is said to be "long and long". The "long and long" of the sky and sea is just like the "long and long" of dreams. [Jun] refers to the lover who lives in Jiangbei.
3. An excerpt from "Book Huai Presents to the Liangzai of Jiangxia Wei Prefecture" (Li Bai)
Clear water produces hibiscus, which naturally removes the carvings.
4. Quatrains are overflowing (Part 7) (Du Fu)
Populas are spread on white felt along the grain path, and green coins are folded on top of lotus leaves by the stream. No one can see the young children on the bamboo shoots, and the chicks sleep next to their mothers on the sand.
5. Lotus Picking Song (Zhu Xiang)
The boat is light, / the willows are swaying in the wind; / the lotus leaves are green, / the lotus flowers are charming. /Sunset, /Microwaves, /Golden threads flash across the river. / Go left, / support right, / the lotus boat is singing.
The lotus is half open, / the bees and butterflies are not allowed to come lightly, / the green water is accompanying them, / it is pure and not stained by dust. / Picking lotus flowers in the stream, / The water drops slide through the lotus coins. /Clap hard, /Clap lightly,/The sound of the paddle answers the song.
The heart of the lotus root is long and the silk is long, / it is shy and hidden deep in the water; / the silkworm cocoon is missing, / the silk is so much that the pupa is wrapped in the center? / the lotus root is picked at the head of the stream, / and the girl wants to pick it but feels embarrassed. / The waves sink, / the waves rise, / the waves carry a suppressed singing voice.
There are many lotus pods, / the durian trees are whirling on both sides of the bank, / the magpies are noisy, / the durian flowers are falling on Silla. / In the stream / lotus is picked, / the ears and temples are faintly red. / The wind is steady, / the wind is born, / the wind is rippling with singing.
The moon hook has risen, / it is clear that the Weaver Girl has morning glory; / the mist is blowing on the water, / the cool breeze is drifting away from the lotus boat. /The fragrance of flowers,/the fragrance of clothes,/dissolve into the vastness;/when it is still,/when it is heard,/the sound of singing curls up in the void.
Influence: The lotus emerges from the mud without being stained, and the lotus leaves the water without being stained
Answer: hkjshirley525 - Assistant Level 3 10-27 21:45
Lotus
Lotus, belonging to the Nymphaeaceae family, is a perennial aquatic plant, also known as "hibiscus".
The leaves of the lotus are like big disks, green and green, and the surface seems to be coated with a layer of invisible oil. Rain or dew falls on it and does not get wet, and rolls into shiny beads. Beads can really be said to be "big beads and small beads falling on a jade plate" and have become people's ornamental objects. In addition to being for viewing, lotus leaves also have other uses: wrap some food in lotus leaves for steaming, which is oily but not greasy, fragrant and refreshing; in hot summer, use lotus leaves to cover pickled vegetables, which will not spoil easily.
The above-ground stems of the lotus are straight from the middle to the outside, without vines or branches, and are slim and graceful. The underground stem of the lotus is called lotus root. Although it is buried in the dark mud all year round, it is spotless and as white as jade. It is divided into sections and cut open. It is white inside and has many small holes in the middle. Lotus root can be eaten raw or cooked. Jiangnan people like to put glutinous rice in lotus root holes and cook it. The cooked lotus root tastes indescribably delicious. In addition, fried lotus root with meat is also a delicious dish for entertaining guests.
Of course, the most eye-catching and praiseworthy thing is the lotus flower. It is deeply loved by people for its noble quality of "coming out of the mud but not staining". There are many colors of lotus flowers, the white ones are like pure snow, and the pink ones are like girl's cheeks. A few petals surround a bright yellow lotus pod, which is really beautiful. The blooming period of lotus is from mid-June to mid-August.
According to popular legend, the 24th day of the sixth lunar month is the birthday of the lotus, also known as the "Lotus Viewing Festival". On this day, people in Jiangnan water towns invite relatives and friends to visit the lotus pond, drink, eat, play and sing, and celebrate the birthday of the lotus! In September, the lotus flowers slowly wither, revealing mature lotus pods. The lotus seeds on the lotus pods can be fried and eaten, which is fragrant; they can also be made into delicious lotus seed soup, which can relieve people from summer heat and nourish the body!
Lotus has been praised by the Chinese people since ancient times, and there are countless poems and songs with "Lotus" as its content. And this poetic lotus has also made great contributions to mankind.