Nelumbo lutea
Nelumbo lutea
Nelumbo lutea is a species of flowering plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. Common names include American lotus, yellow lotus, water-chinquapin, and volée. It is native to North America. The botanical name Nelumbo lutea Willd. is the currently recognized name for this species, which has been classified under the former names Nelumbium luteum and Nelumbo pentapetala, among others.
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Nelumbo lutea blossomNelumbo lutea
Nelumbo lutea (1)
Nelumbo lutea linedrawing
Nelumbo lutea (American Lotus) (54311073998)Nelumbo lutea blossomNelumbo luteaOverview
The rhizomes, flowers, and leaves of the American lotus|thumb|left American lotus is an emergent aquatic plant. It grows in lakes and swamps, as well as areas subject to flooding. The roots are anchored in the mud, but the leaves and flowers emerge above the water's surface. The petioles of the leaves may extend as much as 2 m and end in a round leaf blade 33–43 cm in diameter. Mature plants range in height from 0.8–1.5 m.
Flowering begins in late spring and may continue into the summer. The specific name means "yellow" in Latin and refers to the flowers, which may be white to pale yellow. The flowers measure 18–28 cm in diameter and have 22-25 petals.
Distribution & origin
Share of recorded occurrences by region- United States91%
- Canada3%
- Mexico1%
- Cuba1%
- Jamaica1%
- Dominican Republic1%
- Honduras1%
- Other regions1%
Uses
- lutea may be the plant called "macoupin" in the Miami-Illinois language.
- This plant has a large tuberous rhizome that is used as a food source.
- The seed is also edible and is known as "alligator corn".
Habitat & conservation
The native distribution of the species is Minnesota to Oklahoma, Florida, Mexico, Honduras, and the Caribbean. thumb|right|Native American Lotus in Sigma, Virginia|Virginia Beach, Virginia Indigenous communities, who utilized the plant as a source of food and medicine, likely expanded its distribution northward and eastward across the continent.
Conservation
Nelumbo lutea populations are declining in the U.S. due to habitat destruction. It has been listed as threatened or endangered in New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, and extirpated in Delaware. Their populations have a low level of genetic diversity, showing variation among different populations rather than within populations.
References
- 1Nelumbo lutea — Wikipedia — Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), 2026
- 2NatureServe Explorer 2.0 — explorer.natureserve.org,
- 3Waterlilies and Lotuses: Species, Cultivars, and New Hybrids — Timber Press, 2005
- 4Species Ostrinia penitalis - American Lotus Borer - Hodges#4946 - BugGuide.Net — bugguide.net,
- 5GBIF — occurrence records of Nelumbo lutea — GBIF, 2026
- 6IUCN Red List — Nelumbo lutea — IUCN, 2024
- 7Hình ảnh — Wikimedia Commons (6 ảnh, giấy phép CC/PD) — Wikimedia Commons, 2026