28 THE MEDICINAI^ PLANTS OF THE PHILIPPINES 



solitary, terminal, floating on the water, dentate, glabrous, broad, 

 deeply cleft at the base, with a very long petiole. Flowers 

 solitary, persistent in the ripe fruit, oval. Stamens indefinite 

 in fine whorls or verticils. 



Habitat. — Common on the shores of the Laguna de Bay. 



Nelumbium nucifera, Gaertn. (N. speciosum, Willd.; N. Asl- 

 atioum, Rich. ; Cyamus Nelumbo, Sm. ; C mystieus, Salis.) 



NoM. VuLG. — Bayno, Tag. ; Sukaw, Hoc. ; Sacred Lotus, 

 Eng. 



Uses. — An infusion of the flowers is used internally in 

 dysentery. In India they use, for diarrhoea and vomiting, the 

 viscid, juice obtained from the petioles and the peduncles of the 

 flowers. The rootstock contains a large quantity of starch 

 which has been utilized for food in the periods of famine which 

 have desolated India and Egypt. This flower was the Sacred 

 Lotus of the Egyptians and the people of India have dedicated 

 it to Lakshmi, the goddess of health and prosperity. 



Infusion. — Petals, dried. 5 grams. 



Water 250 " 



Sig. To be taken during 24 hours. 



Botanical Description. — An aquatic plant with fleshy 

 rootgtock which creeps along the muddy bottoms ; from its 

 nodes spring the stalks of the leaves and flowers. Its leaves 

 are alternate, polymorphous, some above and some below the 

 surface of the water, concave in the center whence ribs separate, 

 shield-shaped. Petioles very long, bearing soft, short spines. 

 The flowers white or pink, solitary ; peduncle long and, like 

 the petioles, covered with soft, short spines. Calyx of 4-5 

 unequal sepals, imbricated. Corolla with an indefinite num- 

 ber of unequal petals, the inner ones shorter. Stamens indefi- 

 nite, inserted in the base of the receptacle. Receptacle expanded 

 above the androecium, in the form of an inverted cone, con- 

 taining a large number of alveoli with circular openings. 



