Nelumbo Nucifera

Botanical Name: Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.

Family: Nymphaeaceae

Introduction:

Nymphaceae (bears seven coloured lotuses).

Latin name : Nelumbo = Indian name, This was previously known as nelumbtum – neeram = water, biyam = bean; nucifera – nunci = nut, fern bearing. Kamal seed is a tough shelled seed.

Scientific classification: The genus Lotus belongs to the subfamily Papilionoideae, family Fabaceae (formerly Leguminosae). The jujube suggested to be the legendary lotus tree is classified as Ziziphus lotus of the family Rhamnaceae, the nettle tree as Celtis australis of the family Ulmaceae, and the desert shrub as Nitraria tridentata of the family Zygophyllaceae. The unrelated genus of the water lily family, Nymphaeaceae, is Nelumbo. The sacred lotus of Buddhism is classified as Nelumbo nucifera and the American lotus as Nelumbo lutea. The representative water lily genus is Nymphaea of the family Nymphaeaceae. The Egyptian lotus is classified as Nymphaea caeruleaand the Egyptian water lily as Nymphaea lotus.

Names in different Indian languages

English	East Indian Lotus, Sacred Lotus
Hindi	Kamal
Kannada	Kamala, tavare
Malayalam	Tamara, ventamara, chentamara
Sanskrit	Padmam, pankajam, kamalam
Tamil	Thaamarai
Telugu	Tamara, damara, erratamara
Unani
Folk

Synonyms

Kamala, Padma, Nalina, Aravinda, Jalaja, Raajeeva, Pushkara, Ambuja, Abja, Pankaja. Pundarika (whitish), kokanada (red), Indivara (Bluish).

Nelumbium speciosum Willd.

Classification according to Charaka, Susrutha & Vagbhata

Charaka
Susrutha
Vagbhata

Varieties & adulterants – (CV – controversy, AD – adulterants)

Varieties : There are many varieties of kamal. Among them 3 varieties are important, 1) White. 2) Red (Kokanada) and 3) Blue (lnduvar).

Habitat: All over India, in lakes and waterways.

Morphology

Water is its life. Its root is dipped in mud.

Leaves shiny, round. 30 to 100 cm. in diameter.

Flowers – white or red. Fragrant having diameter 10 to 15 cms.

The plant bears flowers at the height of 30 to 35 cms. from the stalk of flower. The ovary is a sponge like compartment containing round and soft seeds of 4 cms length, are known as kamal kakodi.

Flowers bloom in the morning and close in the evening. Kamal has different name to its different parts.

Distribution & Habitat

Throughout India

Chemical constituents:

quercetin, luteolin, glycosides , kaempferol, quercetin, isoquercitrin, leucoanthocyanidin, Isoquinoline alkaloid, nuciferin,

Properties:

Guna : laghu, snigdha, picchila;

Rasa : madhur, kashaya, tikta;

Vipaka : madhur:

Veerya sheeta;

Karma –

Varnyam, vishahara, amadoshaghnam, vrishyam

Astringent, haemostatic, diuretic, antiemetic, cooling

Srotogamitva:

Dosha : Kaphaghna pittaghna; (seeds – fridoshahara),

Dhatu : Rakta (erysipelas, complexion enhancer), rasa, shukra (seeds- aphrodisiac).

Mala: Purisha (seeds- astringent, constipative).

Organ : Uterus (seeds stabilizes the fetus).

Prabhav : Antidote to poisons

Indication:

Daha, tishna, arsas, visha,

bleeding piles, menorrhagia, cholera, fever, strangury, palpitation of heart.

Part used:

Whole plant

Dosage:

Leaf juice 10-15 ml

Powder 2-4 g

Decoction 50-100 ml

Uses: It is a refrigerant, Being a brain Ionic, it enhances the intellectual power and it promotes sleep. It ads as an astringent in vomiting, thirst and diarrhoea associated with bleeding per rectum, Its special function is to protect the heart from excessive heat. As it alleviates pitta, dosha, it is useful in various bleeding disorders It is useful in foetal growth. It plays an extraordinary role in urinary disorders caused due to pitta. high grade fever, toxicity especially in paediatric diseases, in which children become weak