The Lotus or waterlily is an aquatic
plant of Nymphaea with broad floating leaves and bright
fragrant flowers that grow only in shallow waters. The leaves and
flowers float and have long stems that contain air spaces. The
big attractive flowers have many petals overlapping in a symmetrical
pattern. The root functions are carried out by rhizomes that fan out
horizontally through the mud below the water. Lotuses, prized for
their serene beauty, are delightful to behold as their blossoms open
on the surface of a pond. In India the sacred lotus is legendary and
much folklore and religious mythology is woven around it.