Family : Nymphaeaceae

English : Lotus, Indian Lotus

Hindi : Kamal

Gujarati : Kamal

Sanskrit : Padmam, Pankajam

Part used : Flower

Botanical Description: A large, handsome aquatic herb with slender elongate branched creeping rhizomes sending out roots at the nodes, leaves simple, peltate, petioles very long, smooth or with small prickles, much raised out of water, flowers solitary, large, fragrant, white or rosy with a centrally located yellow obconical spongy torus in which carpels are sunken; fruits ovoid, nut like achenes. Flowering & fruiting from August to April.

It is found throughout India, in marshes and ponds.

Modern Pharmacological Action: It has reported that rhizome extract showed anti-diabetic and antiinflammatory effects, stalks extract showed antipyretic effect, leaves and stamens extracts showed anti-oxidant effect and seeds extract showed hepatoprotective and free radical scavenging effects. The results of a study revealed that the methanolic extract of Nelumbo nucifera exhibited antimicrobial activity at the concentration of 150mcg/ml.