The sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is a symbol of spiritual
purity and longevity. Its seeds can survive up to 1,300 years, its petals and
leaves repel grime and water, and its flowers generate heat to attract
pollinators.
Now researchers report in the journal Genome Biology that
they have sequenced the lotus genome, and the results offer insight into the
heart of some of its mysteries. The sequence reveals that of all the plants
sequenced so far – and there are dozens – sacred lotus bears the closest
resemblance to the ancestor of all eudicots, a broad category of flowering
plants that includes apple, cabbage, cactus, coffee, cotton, grape, melon,
peanut, poplar, soybean, sunflower, tobacco and tomato.