"Nelumbium is the typical and only genus of the order Nelumbiaceæ. The species are remarkable for the beauty of their flowers. N. speciosum has magnificent flowers, magenta or white. It does not now grow in Egypt, but is found in India. The rhizome, stalks, and seeds are eaten by the Hindus. A fiber derived from the stalk is used as a wick for lamps in Hindu temples, the plant being considered sacred. The North American Indians eat the rhizomes of N. luteum."—(Charles Leonard-Stuart, 1911)

Nelumbium

"Nelumbium is the typical and only genus of the order Nelumbiaceæ. The species are remarkable…