NYMPHEACED 
7 Vernacular. —Katnal; Kanval (Hind.), Alli-témara (el.)) 
_ Nyadale-huvu (Can.), Kamala (Mar.), Sevaka (Goa.), Paban 
(Send.), Ambal (Tam.). 
4 History, Uses, &c.—tThis is a classical plant amongst © 
the Hindus and Egyptians. The world at its creation is 
_ likened to a Lotus flower floating on water. Om! mani padme. 
Om! the pearl of creation is in the Lotus. It is emblematic 
of the heavens, Brahma is supposed to reside on a Lotus flower 
in a sea of milk, and to sleep six months of the year, and watch 
_ the other six months ; anallusion to the seasons in which Brahma 
represents the Sun. Mr. O. C. Dutt, in his Hindu Materia 
Medica, speaks thus of it:—‘‘These beautiful plants have 
attracted the attention of the ancient Hindus from a very. 
4 _ remote period, and have obtained a place in thejr religious. 
ceremonies and mythological fables; hence they are described ; 
great detail by Sanskrit writers. The flowers of N. specio~ 
um, called Padma or Kamala, are sacred to Lakshmi, the- 
oddess of wealth and prosperity, The white variety of this 
laut is called Pundarika, the red Kokanada, and the blue 
Indivara. The entire plant, including root, stem and flowers, 
is called Padmini. The torus or receptacle for the seed is 
called Karmikara, and the.honey férmed in the flowers 
_Makaranda. The filaments round the base of the receptacle: 
| pass by the name of Kinjalka, and the leaf stalk by that of 
_ Mrinala,.” N. speciosum is the xvapos duyirrios of Theophrastus. 
The Arabians and Persians, under the name of Nilufer, which, — 
_ they say, is a corruption of an Indian name, and derived from 
