Complete Guide to Lotus Root Varieties and Introduction to Common Varieties
What lotus root varieties are there? Where can I find a complete guide to lotus root varieties? We ask knowledgeable readers to help introduce them. Lotus root is slightly sweet and crisp, and can be eaten raw or cooked; it is one of the common table vegetables. But exactly which lotus root varieties exist is something some readers still do not know well, so Zhongdi Net has compiled the commonly cultivated lotus root varieties, detailed below...
What lotus root varieties are there? Where can I find a complete guide to lotus root varieties? We ask knowledgeable readers to help introduce them.Lotus root is slightly sweet and crisp, and can be eaten raw or cooked; it is one of the common table vegetables. But exactly which lotus root varieties exist is something some readers still do not know well, so Zhongdi Net has compiled the commonly cultivated lotus root varieties, listed in detail below for readers' reference.
1. Elian No. 1:Selected from Shanghai local varieties through line selection, extremely early maturing, petiole 130 cm long, leaves elliptical, leaf diameter 60 cm, bearing a small number of white flowers. The lotus root enters the mud 15-20 cm deep, the main rhizome has 6-7 nodes, is 130 cm long, 6.5 cm in transverse diameter, a single root weighs about 5 kg, and the skin color is yellow-white.
In the Yangtze River basin, planting is generally done in early April; in early July, 1,000 kg of green lotus root can be harvested per mu, and from September to October, 2,000-2,500 kg of mature lotus root can be harvested. Elian No. 1 lotus root is suitable for stir-frying.
2. Elian No. 2:Elian No. 2 was bred from seedlings of Shaoxing field lotus root, mid-late maturing. In the Yangtze River basin, it is generally planted in early April, harvesting can begin in late August, and mature lotus root is harvested in October. The petiole is 180 cm long, the leaves are nearly round and flat-spreading, the leaf surface is much wrinkled, and the flowers are white. It enters the mud 30 cm deep, the main rhizome has 5-6 nodes, is 120 cm long, 7 cm in transverse diameter, a single root weighs 4-5 kg, and the skin color is white.
Elian No. 2 can yield 2,000-2,500 kg per mu. Elian No. 2 is suitable for both plain stir-frying and stewing; it softens easily, the soup is white, and the taste is sweet.
3. Elian No. 3:Using Hunan Paozi as the female parent and Zhujie lotus root as the male parent, it was bred through artificial hybridization and selection, early-mid maturing. In the Yangtze River basin, Elian No. 3 is generally planted in early April, green lotus root can be harvested in early to mid-July, and mature lotus root is harvested after September. The petiole is 140 cm long, the leaf diameter is 65 cm, and it bears white flowers. Elian No. 3 is short-cylindrical in shape, with 5-6 nodes, about 120 cm long, about 7 cm in transverse diameter, a single root weighs 3-4 kg, and the skin color is light yellow-white. It enters the mud about 20 cm deep. Elian No. 3 can yield up to 2,200 kg of mature lotus root per mu, and is suitable for both stir-frying and eating raw.
4. Elian No. 4:Using Changzheng Paozi as the female parent and Wuhan Lotus No. 1 as the male parent, artificial hybridization was carried out, and single-plant selection was performed on the first hybrid generation. Elian No. 4 is a mid-maturing variety. Elian No. 4 has a petiole 140 cm long, elliptical leaves, leaf diameter 75 cm, flowers white with red tips, the main rhizome has 5-7 nodes, is 120-150 cm long, 7-8 cm in transverse diameter, a single root weighs 5-6 kg, the tip nodes are thick and large, it enters the mud 25-30 cm deep, and the skin is light yellow-white. In the middle and lower Yangtze River region, Elian No. 4 is generally planted in early April, green lotus root is harvested in mid to late July, and Elian No. 4 yields about 750-1,000 kg per mu; from September, about 2,500 kg of mature lotus root can begin to be harvested. It is relatively sweet when eaten raw, relatively mealy when stewed in soup, and also suitable for stir-frying.
5. Elian No. 5 (3735):Bred by hybridizing Elian No. 1 and Elian No. 2, mid-early maturing. Plant height 160-180 cm, leaf diameter 75-80 cm, leaves nearly round, flowers white, seed-setting rate relatively low. Elian No. 5 main rhizome has 5-6 nodes, is 120 cm long, elliptical in cross-section, 7-9 cm in diameter, the lotus root flesh is thick and solid, the air passages are small, and the surface is white. Elian No. 5 enters the mud about 30 cm deep. In the middle and lower Yangtze River region, it is planted in early April; in mid to late July, 500-800 kg of green lotus root is harvested per mu, and in late August, 2,000-3,000 kg of mature lotus root is produced. Elian No. 5 lotus root has strong growth vigor, does not age prematurely, has strong stress resistance, and gives stable yields; the lotus root shape is thick and sturdy, the flesh-to-hole ratio is large, and its market quality is good. It is white in color and softens easily whether stir-fried or stewed in soup, and is highly popular in southern markets and export markets.
6. Elian No. 6:Bred through hybridization and selection, the plant has relatively strong growth vigor, plant height 160-180 cm, leaves nearly round, surface smooth, leaf blade radius about 36 cm, petiole about 1.9 cm thick, flowers white, flowering relatively abundant, lotus root begins to form at around the 13th leaf, the growth period is about 125 days, and it enters the mud shallowly, generally 25-30 cm. Early maturing; the internode shape of the lotus root is mid-short cylindrical, the surface is yellow-white, the lotus root head and the shoulder of the internodes are rounded and blunt, and the internodes are uniform. Elian No. 6 lotus root generally has a main rhizome of 6-7 nodes, 90-110 cm long; the main internodes are 14-17 cm long and 8 cm thick; a single whole lotus root weighs 3.54 kg, and the yield of withered lotus root is 2,500-3,000 kg.
7. Elian No. 7 (also known as "Pearl Lotus Root"):It is a new lotus root variety bred by sexual self-pollination using Elian No. 5 as the parent. Early maturing, relatively weak growth vigor, short plant, plant height 110-130 cm. Leaves nearly round, petiole relatively thin, leaf blade radius 28-32 cm, surface rough. Flowers white.
The whole growth period of Elian No. 7 lotus root is about 100 days. It enters the mud shallowly, generally 25-30 cm. The internodes of Elian No. 7 lotus root are short cylindrical, the gaps at the nodes are small, the lotus root surface is smooth and yellow-white, the lotus root head is rounded and blunt, and the lotus root flesh is thick and solid. The mature lotus root main rhizome has 5-7 nodes, the main internodes are 9-12 cm long and 6-10 cm thick; a single whole lotus root weighs about 2.5 kg, and the main rhizome weighs about 1.6 kg. Generally, in mid-July the yield of green lotus root is about 1,000 kg per mu, and in early September the yield of withered lotus root is about 1,900 kg per mu. Elian No. 7 lotus root has thick, solid flesh and is suitable for cold dressing, stir-frying, and stewing in soup.
8. Wuzhi No. 2:Selected through single-plant line selection from the Manhe variety. This variety is mid-maturing, suitable for shallow-water planting, can be harvested in 130 days, and enters the mud 30 cm deep. The lotus root body shape is similar to Suzhou Manhe, with obvious grooves on the cross-section.
Wuzhi No. 2 lotus root flowers relatively little, the flowers are white with a slight tinge of red, single-petaled. The plant is 150 cm tall, leaf diameter 50 cm, main rhizome 120 cm, 4-6 nodes, the middle internodes 15 cm long, 6-8 cm in transverse diameter, the largest single lotus root weighs 5 kg, the main rhizome weighs 3 kg, the surface is creamy yellow, and the terminal bud is light yellow. The lotus root flesh is fine-textured, of good quality, and has good flavor when stewed. Wuzhi No. 2 lotus root has high yield, and every 6 mu can yield more than 2,500 kg.
9. Makou White Lotus:Plant height 193 cm. Leaf diameter 81 cm. Flowers single-petaled, white, few in number. Makou White Lotus main rhizome has 4-6 segments, is 100 cm long, the middle segments are 13 cm long, and the transverse diameter is 6 cm. The cross-section is elliptical, and the air passages are relatively large. The lotus root head is long-cylindrical, the tip section is relatively long, and the segments are uneven.
Makou White Lotus surface is white, the lenticels are few and inconspicuous, and the terminal bud is light yellow. Makou White Lotus has about 3-5 secondary rhizomes, a single lotus root weighs 2.7 kg, and the main rhizome weighs 1.5 kg. Late maturing, growth period 210 days. Tolerant of deep water and relatively strong in stress resistance.
10. Yingcheng White Lotus:Plant height 170 cm. Leaf diameter 70-80 cm. Flowers single-petaled, white. Flowering relatively sparse. The main rhizome has 4-5 segments, 100 cm long, 6-7 cm in transverse diameter, the surface is white, and the lenticels are moderate.
Yingcheng White Lotus cross-section is nearly round, the air passages are relatively large, the lotus root head is plump, the lotus root body is long-cylindrical, the tip section is relatively long, and the segments are uneven. The terminal bud is yellow. There are 3-4 secondary rhizomes, a single whole lotus root weighs 2-3 kg, and the main rhizome weighs 1.4 kg. The growth period of Yingcheng White Lotus is 220 days; it is relatively tolerant of deep water, has relatively good stress resistance, and can yield 1,300-1,500 kg per mu.
11. Meiren Hong:Meiren Hong lotus root is a mid-late maturing variety, tolerant of deep water. The lotus root body reaches more than 1 m in length, generally 4-5 nodes, the lotus root skin is white, the flesh is rice-white, the quality is medium, and it can be eaten raw or cooked.
The petiole of the young leaves of Meiren Hong lotus root is bright purplish red, very attractive, hence the name "Meiren Hong" (Beauty Red). The lotus root forms shallowly in the soil, making harvesting easy. Meiren Hong lotus root is generally planted in early May and harvested from late September to October, with a yield of about 1,000-1,500 kg per mu; with proper management it can reach 2,000 kg.
12. Da Zi Hong:Da Zi Hong lotus root is a mid-late maturing variety. The lotus root body is long-cylindrical, the main rhizome has 4-5 nodes, the skin is rice-white, the leaf buds are purplish red, flowering is sparse, and the flowers are pink.
Da Zi Hong lotus root can be eaten raw or cooked and is of relatively good quality. Da Zi Hong lotus root is suitable for shallow-water planting and can also be planted in relatively deep water bodies. It is generally planted in early May and harvested from September to October, with a yield of about 1,500 kg per mu, reaching about 2,000 kg at high yields.
13. Anhui Piaohua:It is a local variety of Hefei City, Anhui Province. Anhui Piaohua lotus root is an early maturing variety, the main rhizome has 4-6 nodes, the lotus root is relatively thick, bears no flowers, and is suitable for shallow-water field cultivation. Anhui Piaohua lotus root generally yields about 2,000-2,500 kg per mu; its texture is tender and crisp with no fiber, and it is excellent for eating raw, stir-frying, and stewing in soup.
14、9217：Selected through single-plant line selection from local varieties. The 9217 variety lotus root has a tall plant form and is a mid-late maturing variety. The 9217 variety lotus root is generally 175 cm tall, with a leaf diameter of 75 cm, tolerant of deep water, and bears white flowers. The main rhizome enters the mud 30-35 cm deep, has 5-6 nodes, is 120 cm long, and 7.5 cm thick.
The 9217 variety lotus root has a plump root shape, white skin and crisp flesh, and good market quality. In the middle and lower Yangtze River region, it is generally planted in early April and matures in early September, yielding about 2,500 kg per mu; it is suitable for plain stir-frying, cold dressing, and stewing.
15. 00-26 Variety:This lotus root variety has a relatively large opening angle at the center of the leaf surface. The notable marker distinguishing it from all other vegetable lotus roots is that the leaf surface has no nipple-like protrusions, so it feels especially smooth. The 00-26 variety lotus root is a late-maturing variety; field-planted, it matures in early to mid-September and is harvested from late September to April of the following year.
The 00-26 variety lotus root main rhizome has 5-6 nodes, is 100-150 cm long, the internodes are 20-25 cm long and about 7.5 cm in diameter, it enters the mud 30-35 cm deep, a single root weighs about 2.5-3 kg, the surface is white, and it is suitable for stir-frying and cold dressing. The yield per mu is about 2,500 kg.
16. Bai Paozi:Bred in the suburbs of Xiaogan City, Hubei Province. Plant height 140 cm, leaf diameter 70 cm, flowers single-petaled, white, flowering relatively abundant, the main rhizome has 4-5 nodes, about 100 cm long, 7.5 cm in transverse diameter, the surface is white, and the lenticels are relatively small and inconspicuous. The cross-section is round, and the air passages are relatively small.
The Bai Paozi variety lotus root has a short-cylindrical root head, a relatively long root tip, and the lengths of the main rhizome segments are not very uniform. The terminal bud of Bai Paozi lotus root is light yellow, it has 3-4 secondary rhizome nodes, a single root weighs 2 kg, and the main rhizome weighs about 1.5 kg. Mid-early maturing, with average stress resistance.
17. New No. 1:Selected through line selection from Elian No. 1 seedlings. New No. 1 lotus root is a mid-early maturing variety. It is generally 175 cm tall, with a leaf diameter of 75 cm, and bears white flowers. The main rhizome enters the mud about 30 cm deep, has 5-6 nodes, is 120 cm long, and 7.5 cm thick.
New No. 1 lotus root has a plump root shape, white skin and crisp flesh, and good market quality. In the middle and lower Yangtze River region, it is planted in early April, green lotus root can be harvested in mid-July, and after maturing in mid to late August, it yields about 2,500-3,000 kg per mu. It softens easily when stewed in soup, and is sweet when cold-dressed or stir-fried.
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