NYMPHAEA CAERULEA:
Family: Nymphaeaceae
Genus: Nymphaea
Species: N. caerulea
Origin: Thailand
Common names: Blue Lotus Flower, Blaue Lotusblume, Lotus (Roman), Nymphaea (Roman), Ssn (Egyptian), Utpala (Sanskrit), Blue Water Lily, Egyptian Lotus, Sacred Lily of the Nile, Nenuphar Bleu de Ciel, Djaberi Djongel.
Found growing in the lowland Nile, Nymphaea caerulea is a revered plant that was once used during ritual in ancient Egypt. The lotus would grow wild in ponds and was prized for its beauty, its seductive scent, and their symbolism, as well as for their consciousness altering effects. The sky blue and sometimes purple flowers are day-blooming, and star-shaped with upright pointed petals that grow atop a long stem, sometimes 4-5 feet above the water. It grows along rivers and lakeshores, and its leaves are round and flat, which sit atop the waters surface. At one time, the plant only grew in the wetlands of the Nile delta, with some found in Palestine, however the wild blue lotus has become an endangered species.
When the Pharaoh Tutankhamen’s tomb was opened, they discovered blue lotus flowers had been scattered over his body. Initially, it was thought that these flowers were purely symbolic, however there is a growing body of research that is pointing towards the Egyptians using this Nymphaea caerulea to induce ecstatic states, euphoria, feelings of wellbeing, and for medicine and visions. Some evidence also suggests that N. caerulea had been used to relieve pain, increase memory, promote sexual desire, and to improve circulation, while it was also used in Egypt to enhance sexual desire, and was viewed as an essential key to good health.
The Blue Lotus has also been found in representations of Egyptian art and hieroglyphics. The women would wear the buds in their hair and as adornments.
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Our products are not certified by the FDA neither Health Canada for human consumption. They are sold for incense and soap making purposes, decorative purposes and/or legitimate ethnobotanical research. Our products are not sold and intended for human consumption. The information given about the plants is for academic purposes only and not intended to be used medically. Wakingherbs, its suppliers, agents, employees and distributors cannot be held accountable for any misuse of the products offered.