The name LOTUS has many different meanings in various parts of the world. Poets speak of the “lotus eaters”; this plant is believed to be a jujube, possibly Zizyphus. Here in America, the word has been given to various water-lilies, including even the Nymphaea, of which our lovely white water-lily is the most familiar example. More commonly, the name is now applied to species of Nelumbium. Most properly, the name lotus should be used chiefly for the East Indian species, Nelumbium nelumbo, often and erroneously known as the Egyptian lotus. In color, the gorgeous flowers vary from white to red and make a charming water plant for large gardens. The native species is Netumbium pentapetalum, often called water chinkapin. The flowers are a pale yellow and graceful as well as delightful in every way. It grows wild in New England and adjacent territory and also in the mid-West. Unfortunately, it is found infrequently, although usually abundantly in ponds where it has survived. It is perfectly hardy in gardens, provided the water is deep enough to prevent the roots from freezing.
