Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Account for Sacred Lotus - Nelumbo nucifera   Gaertner
Members of Nelumbo with account distribution info or public map:
Google Images
Section 6 » Order Nymphaeales » Family Nelumbonaceae
Show/Hide Synonym
AuthorGaertner
DistributionScattered in the lower Piedmont and the Coastal Plain.

Native of China; in N.A. mostly in the southeastern states.
AbundanceRare; no collections since 1989.
HabitatArtificial ponds and impoundments; also "drainage runoff across road from lake."
PhenologyFlowering late July - early September.
IdentificationIn flower, the pink corolla -- composed of numerous petals -- separates it from N. lutea, which has a light yellow corolla. Vegetatively they probably cannot be told from each other. The flowers are among the largest of any species -- native or not --in the state.
Taxonomic Comments
Other Common Name(s)
State RankSE
Global RankG5
State Status
US Status
USACE-agcpOBL link
USACE-empOBL link
County Map - click on a county to view source of record.
Select a source
AllHerbaria
Website
Select an occurrence type
AllCollection_non_naturalOther_non_natural