Fairest flower of the pond

Published on: Sunday, January 24, 2021

By: Eskay Ong

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GROWING the fairest flower of the pond is just like sticking a beautiful stalk of rose into cow dung, metaphorically speaking. The comparison is glaringly stark and seemingly familiar, and the truth is, the former grows best in the ugliest, murkiest, smoothest and creamiest mud.

It can tolerate and even grow well in a wide range of soil conditions including the acidic, neutral or alkaline waters and soils, although not to extremes la.

It is well known that lotus plants love to grow in soft, cool and soothing watery mud that are free of garbage and other man-made wastes. As the plants are quite tall, there are some people who are not averse to sneaking in between the foliage at the edge of the pond to unload his waste, as if he has not contributed enough other wastes on land.

This brings the story to the fact that the lotus is a water-loving plant that is ubiquitous in many parts of Asia. Known botanically as Nelumbo nucifera, it can commonly be found to be growing in the wild and untended naturescapes, or in carefully cultivated ponds, pools or large jars where they can grow to quite appreciable heights and spreads.

Around KK, there are many open ponds, inland marshes and stagnant pools of water that are filled with lotus plants. The State Museum grounds has a very nice pond of about an acre in size, with the lotus plants growing beautifully with little or no attendance.

Sadly, for some reason, they are sometimes thrashed to bits by heavy machineries thus converting the green leafy pond into a kind of cesspool. Fortunately, they are able to recover fairly quickly if left undisturbed to reward plant enthusiasts again with new leaves and gorgeous flowers.

Another location is at Kinarut where an abandoned pond has very uneven depth with not much water most of the time, but with plenty of lotus plants and flowers during the early part of the year. When the water level drops and the aridity is sustained, the leaves succumb quickly, but all the same, they recover once the land gets sufficiently wet again.

Many people often drop by to gawk at the beautiful blooms while at the same time collecting some parts such as the seed heads, young shoots and leaves, as well as tuberous rhizomes for use in the kitchen back home as they are deliciously edible.

In fact every morsel counts as long as they can be put on the table especially during this difficult time where the entire world is ravaged by the covid-19 pandemic.

The lotus is a tropical perennial aquatic or semi-aquatic plant that sometimes has to fight for space against water lilies and kangkungs especially in small and confined ponds. This is because the latter two also thrive in the same environment, and because lotus are much larger plants, there is no way they can be elbowed out of the same pond.

Leaves and flowers

Lotus plants have rootstocks that thrive productively in the sediment at the base of the pool or pond. The rhizomous roots are quite plump and beefy with some large pieces measuring up to 30cm in length and 10cm in diameter.

Usually, a number of such rhizomes are connected such as in a string of hotdogs, and as such, each dig can provide bountiful yields for the hardworking guys. This is akin to digging in the mud to get at the gold, a fruitful job that city folks in long sleeves and neckties are likely to steer clear of.

Despite being hidden in the mud, lotus rhizomes are always coloured like fair human skin, which is why it is popular with many ladies. But the leaf and flower stalks that are produced in prolific numbers tend to rise to an appreciable height above the water level, which is quite unlike water lilies. Under normal circumstances, such stalks usually extend to about 1-2 metres above the level.

At the tips of the stalks are borne the leaves and flowers. Leaf blades are circular in shape, and these are attached near the middle to the leaf stalk, which is a bluntly-spined, erectly growing appendage. Flower colour is usually either pink or white, but rarely seen are the varieties with yellowish or purplish coloured flowers.

Flowers are held aloft by means of their tough stalks, but they are raised, as if by some unseen hands, to a much greater height by the time they open. Under such situations, a pond covered with lotuses would have three levels, namely, water level, leaf level and flower level, which give it an amazing sight to behold.

As mentioned earlier, the lotus is a ubiquitous flowering aquatic plant in Asia, regularly drawing tens of thousands of gawkers, oglers and gapers during the flowering season. This has the same effect as a sea of Eichhornia crassipes with countless numbers of purplish flowers stretching right into and over the horizon. Enterprising folks would be able to see the money floating around.

Lotus ponds have the potential to boost domestic tourism in this difficult time, thus playing a small part in grabbing many operators from the edge of the cliff, or at least to stave off the pesky ah longs. Thanks to nature, these flowers can indeed be life savers. But if the relevant agencies do not care about the well-being of the rakyat, who else would?

In Malaysia, the plant can be found in many places especially the wet, soggy or waterlogged areas. Sometimes, the scene can be quite befuddling especially in areas that experience a certain period of dry season, as the plant could be in bloom one season and gone the next. Almost as if by magic, the vestiges begin to come back to life again with the onset of the next rainy season.

In abandoned ponds, ditches, blocked canals and storm drains, the plant penetrates the water surface by throwing up a few circular leaves, to be followed by a few flower buds. These then break into the splendour of fully opened blooms, and by the time one realises the beauty of it all, the whole water body would have been smothered by the plant.

Practical usefulness of the lotus

The lotus certainly has a lot of beneficial uses that can be exploited to the full for human benefit. It can be for cultural, creative arts, religious, or medical uses. But most notable of all among all the benefits is in its use as a food item in which virtually the entire plant, from top to bottom, can be used to fill the table.

Different communities use the plant and its parts in different ways, but the result is just about the same, that is, they always end up in the stomach.

As a food, the young leaves and tender leaf stalks are extracted and can be cooked and eaten, while the older and tougher leaf blades are commonly used to wrap food, particularly steamed glutinous rice, in many cultures in Asia. The nut-like fruits which are embedded in the flat-topped seed heads or conical receptacles, can be easily extracted when ripe.

These may be eaten raw or cooked in a variety of ways. They are highly nutritious and may be served as a sweet when boiled in sugar. It is easy to carry several of the already peeled dry seeds in the pocket so that they can be used to keep one’s mouth busy without making too much noise. Alternatively, they may be dried and ground into a flour, which is often used in a great number of hot or cold recipes.

The tubers or rhizomes which can be pulled up from underneath the sediment or mud actually contain a lot of air chambers. These hollow structures reveal a pretty good symmetry when cross sections are displayed. They usually grow in strings, much like strings of sausages, and when harvested for consumption, they are a good source of starch and protein, as well as a number of vitamins such as Vitamin C. The latter vitamin, coupled with the skin colour of the rhizomes, contribute to the appeal that draws great numbers of lady consumers to chew up such roots.

When cooked, the rhizomes are usually served boiled as a soup, or they may be candied or sweetened and consumed. Another way is to slice them up, air-dry them and then fry them either with or without coatings. When done, it is a joy to grind them up between your teeth and then washed down with a few cuppas or several bottles of your favourite fiery stuff.

Growing the fair lotus

It may sound messy to grow the fair lotus knowing that the plant loves mud, sediment, and things like that. But in reality, home grown lotuses can yield some of the most surprising results one can ever dream of having in life.

The reason is, home grown lotuses are exceptionally clean and neat, unlike those growing in storm drains, buffalo pools or filthy ditches. Tidiness can easily be ensured by setting only a few plants in large aquariums, garden ponds or large jars. In this way, uncontrolled proliferation of unwanted growths can be easily kept in check.

The easiest way to start growing lotuses is by the use of seeds. Go drive around to pick up some seeds from somewhere, or if possible, pull up a few tubers to lug home.

Freshly harvested seeds sprout young plantlets within ten days and they should be blooming several months after that. Fat mature rhizomes may be harvested for the table within seven to eight months from seed. On the other hand, underground rhizomes may also be used to grow new plants. In fact, large whole plants may be easily removed and planted separately to start another cluster.

Large lotus flowers that stand up way above the leaves can make for a very showy appearance in a rich green pond.

A large pond of lotus that is filled to the edges. A spectacular sight when covered with flowers.

A young bud that is going to open soon.

A young seed head with plenty of green seeds.

A young tender flower head with the stamens and some petals still on. The entire top is edible. Some say they are good for maintaining a soft, supple, smooth and youthful skin.

Dry and mature seeds may be skinned and eaten right in the field. They are delicious. If insufficient, even the green ones can be wolfed down, and then washed down with a suitable beverage. Such a relaxing activity can be had while wallowing in some cool spot at the edge of the pond.

Young lotus leaves are roundish with less wavy edges. The leaves that stick to the water surface are water lilies.

Mature and dry seed heads still with some seeds within.

This is how pieces of lotus tubers look like when sliced transversely.

Dry seed heads are very hard and may last a long time. The long ones make attractive decorative items especially when a few are spray painted with assorted colours and then displayed in tall jars. Anyone with powerful lungs may dive down into the mud to cut and remove the long pieces at the base.