Liu,+Chuanlin

=Favorite or Interesting Plant=

General description of this plant:
==Lotus flower is a kind of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. The common color of this plant is pink and white. This plant can grow about 150cm tall and when it bloom, the petal can be up to 20cm, and the leaves may be reach to 60cm.==

Most interesting thing(s) about this plant:
==There are many interesting things about lotus flower. First of all, Lotus flower has the ability to control the temperature of its flowers like other warmblooded creatures. When the weather is cold, lotus flower is still able to maintain a temperature between 30-35 degree centigrade. Through keeping the temperature, lotus flower can attract more coldblooded insects to improve the success of pollination.== ==Secondly, I used to think the roots of lotus flower is just in the water, but the truth is that the roots actually grow in the soil of pond bottom. Lotus flower has a long stem, which allows the flowers stay on the top of water for the flotage of its leaves.== ==Finally, the most amazing thing I found of lotus flower is its seeds' longevity. Under appropriate environment, the seeds can be germinant for a long period. Through records, the oldest viable seeds found is about 1300 years ago in China.==

A story about me and this plant:
==When I was young, I lived in a small village. My neighbor had a small fish pond, and every summer, he grew lotus flowers on the pond. One day, I saw many people sold edible lotus seeds at vegetable market and I was quite curious about its taste. So, I sneaked into my neighbor's pond and stole one lotus flower. I peeled off the petals, put one seed into mouth and chewed. I promise, that was the most bitter thing I've eaten in my life. I spit out the seed immediately, but the bitter taste still remained in my tongue. What an unforgettable experience. Now, I know not all lotus seeds are edible, and few of them may be harmful for people to eat, hahaha.==

Web site(s) that has good information about this plant:
http://www.lotusflowermeaning.net/

http://buddhism.about.com/od/eightauspicioussymbols/a/The-Symbol-Of-The-Lotus.htm