Meaning & use
Nelumbo
Last updated
Meaning
proper nounproperbiology
The scientific genus name for the lotus plants, which grow in water and have large round leaves and showy flowers.
Grammar: Always capitalized and usually written in italics as a genus name: Nelumbo nucifera. It is a name for a group, not one plant.
Patterns
- the genus Nelumbo
- Nelumbo nucifera
Botanists place the sacred lotus in the genus Nelumbo.
Nelumbo has only two living species, one from Asia and one from North America.
The pond was filled with Nelumbo, and its leaves stood high above the water.
Common combinations
- genus Nelumbo
- The genus Nelumbo is the only group in its plant family.
- Nelumbo nucifera
- Nelumbo nucifera is the sacred lotus of Asian temples and gardens.
- Nelumbo lutea
- Nelumbo lutea is the American lotus, which has pale yellow flowers.
- species of Nelumbo
- Each species of Nelumbo has large leaves that repel water.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lotus
- Lotus is the common name for the plants of the genus Nelumbo, while Nelumbo is the formal scientific name used by botanists.
Word family
- Nelumbonaceae proper noun
- the plant family that contains the genus Nelumbo
- lotus noun
- the common name for plants of this genus
Commonly confused: Nelumbo or Nymphaea?
Nelumbo vs Nymphaea
Nymphaea is the genus of water lilies, which look similar to lotuses but have floating leaves, whereas Nelumbo leaves often rise above the water.
Practice
What is Nelumbo in botany?
Choose one answer.
Nelumbo is the genus name for lotuses. Water lilies belong to a different genus, Nymphaea, and the other options are not what Nelumbo names.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Nelumbo”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.