often used as an example of divine beauty.
its unfolding petals suggest the expansion of the soul.
the growth of its pure beauty from the mud of its origin holds a benign spiritual promise.
a divine symbol in ancient asian traditions representing the virtues of sexual purity and non-attachment
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the national flowers of both india and vietnam.
native to tropical asia and queensland, australia.
it is commonly cultivated in water gardens.
the roots plant in the soil of a pond or river bottom
the leaves float on top of the water surface or are held well above it
they have the remarkable ability to regulate the temperature of its flowers
to within a narrow range
just as humans and other warmblooded animals do.
they might be doing this to attract coldblooded insect pollinators
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the flowers, seeds, young leaves, and roots (rhizomes) are all edible.
petals, leaves, and rhizome can be eaten raw,
but there is a risk of parasite transmission
it is therefore recommended that they be cooked before eating.
the stamens can be dried into a fragrant herbal chinese tea called liánhu cha.
the seeds or nuts can be eaten raw or dried and popped like popcorn.
the roots are also used in traditional Asian herbal medicine.
the distinctive dried seed heads, resembles the spout of a watering can.
sold throughout the world for decorative purposes and dried flower arranging.
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(thanks again wiki)