Latin: Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.
Family: Nympheaeceae

Vernacular names: Sanskrit - Kamala - Svetakamala - Pankaj; Hindi - Kanwal; English - Sacred lotus; Unani - Kanwala; Malayalam - Tamara; Tamil - Tamarai; French - Nelumbo; German - Indische Lotosblume; Persian - Nilufer
Part Used: leaves, root, flowers, seeds
Ayurvedic Energetics:Rasa: sweet, bitter, astringent Veerya: cooling Veerya: cooling Vipaka: sweetGunas: light, unctuous, slimy
Doshas: KP- ; V+
Pharmacological Action: leaves: refrigerant, hemostatic ; root: demulcent; flowers: sedative, bitter, diuretic, astringent, hemostatic, refrigerant, cholagogic and expectorant; seeds: demulcent
Clinical Research: The presence of various alkaloids have been reported from the entire plant including nuciferine, neferine, lotusine, and isoliensinine. The ether extract of the petals and stamens yielded quercitin; the aqueous extract of the leaves yielded flavonoids, quercitin, isoquercitrin and leukodelphinidin. The seeds contain between 2-3% oil comprised of myristic, palmatic, oleic, and linoleic acid. The alcoholic root extract have shown CNS-depressant and diuretic activity in rodents.
Traditional Uses: The leaves are boiled with Mimosa pudica (Lajjaalu) in goat's milk to treat diarrhea ; the leaf paste is applied to the body in fever and inflammatory skin conditions;young leaves are taken with sugar to treat rectal prolapse . The stamens are mixed with ghee and jaggery and used in treating hemorrhoids. The leaves and flowers are both useful in many varieties of raktapitta, or bleeding disorders. The flowers are sometimes prescribed to promote conception. The petals alleviate thirst and inflammations. The seed powder mixed with honey is given in cough. The roots are said to be health for teeth. Taken with ghee, milk, and gold it is a general tonic said to promote strength, virility, and intellect.
Indications: bleeding disorders, menorrhagia, hemorrhoids
Formulations and Dosage:seed powder : 5-8 g bidroot powder : 5-8 g bid