Are lotus and water lily actually the same plant?
Lotus
Are lotus and water lily the same plant? In fact, lotus is the same as the lotus flower, but water lily is a different plant variety from lotus, and there is a big difference between the two. Below, the editor of Qiannong Network will briefly explain it to everyone.
1. Lotus, also called lotus flower, is a familiar aquatic flower, native to the tropical regions of India. The water lily, by contrast, is native to China, India, Egypt, Mexico, South Africa, the United States and other regions.
2. Both belong to the Nymphaeaceae family. The easiest way to identify them is that the leaf surface of the lotus has fine fuzz, and its mature leaves rise above the water surface; the leaves are shield-shaped and have no notch. The leaf surface of the water lily is glossy and shiny, and its mature leaves do not rise above the water surface but float on it; the leaves are oval and have a V-shaped notch.
3. As for the flowers, lotus flowers are larger, with broad petal bases, and the colors include white, red and pink, with blooming concentrated in the early morning. Water lily flowers are generally smaller than lotus flowers (with the exception of Victoria amazonica), with long, narrow petals, and the colors include white, yellow, purple, pink, red, purplish red and blue. There are many color patterns, and they bloom in the early morning or at night.
4. The entire lotus plant is a treasure. The flowers, stems, lotus seeds, lotus seed pods and lotus root (underground stem) can all be used as food, but the flowering period of the lotus is limited to summer. For the water lily, only its flowers are used to make water lily tea and perfume, and it blooms all year round.
5. In terms of botanical family, lotus is a perennial aquatic plant. There are flower lotuses grown specifically for ornamental use, and seed lotuses grown specifically for harvesting lotus seeds. They can be roughly divided into two major categories: water lilies and lotuses.
6. Water lily and lotus both belong to the Nymphaeaceae family and the genus Nymphaea, but they are different species of perennial aquatic herbaceous plants. Water lilies can further be divided into two types: midnight lilies and midday lilies. Midnight lilies usually bloom at night and close during the day; midday lilies usually bloom during the day and close at night.
By now you must know the answer. First, lotus and lotus flower are the same plant, while lotus and water lily are different plants in the same family and genus, and there are great differences between the two.