Garden flower and plant: Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)
Common name: Lotus flower. Scientific classification: Kingdom: Plantae. (unranked): Angiosperms. (unranked): Eudicots. Order: Proteales. Family: Nelumbonaceae. Genus: Nelumbo. Species: N. nucifera. Binomial name: Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.
The lotus is the national flower of India and Vietnam. The Lotus plant is an aquatic perennial. Growing from the mud at the bottom of ponds and streams, most commonly cultivated in water gardens. The exquisite Lotus flower rises above the water and is usually white or pink, spreading petals. The meaning of Lotus Flower: This is a symbol of the sun, of creation and rebirth,Because at night the flower closes, at dawn it rises and opens again. Nelumbo nucifera is known by a number of common names, including Sacred lotus, Indian lotus and Sacred water-lily.