Manipur’s rare 108 petal lotus now at NBRI Lucknow

The National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) of Lucknow has about 20 varieties of lotus flowers including the rare 108 petal lotus, usually found in Manipur

The National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) of Lucknow has about 20 varieties of lotus flowers including the rare 108 petal lotus, usually found in Manipur.

108 petals lotus (HT photo)

“We collected this 108-petal lotus from its natural habitat and planted it on our campus garden where it is now growing naturally. We also have planted 1000 petal lotus, but it’s yet to grow,” said professor SK Barik, director, NBRI, Lucknow.

“The number of petals in Manipur is usually greater than 100, and we have planted them here in Lucknow where they are yet to fully bloom. We also have planted two plants in waterlily pond and 9 plants in water tubs. We have 20 other varieties of lotus flowers that are popular in the market. Besides, we have also collected several landraces from different parts of U.P., Assam, and MP,” he added.

“Besides its religious and cultural significance, lotus has a lot of nutritional value too. Our focus is not only on expanding the number of varieties but also on improving its nutritional value, which is critical in the pharmaceutical industry. Even though it is our national flower, it is currently grown only in a limited area. We aim to popularise and scale up its commercialization so that people who grow it make more profit than before,” NBRI director said.