This flower has long been sacred, both in Buddhist and Hindu religions, signifying purity arising from foul mud. The leaves have a bluish waxy coating, so water runs off, leaving them absolutely clean. The thick rhizomes of the sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) are commonly eaten in Chinese cookery, sliced to show a ring of round holes; the seedheads are used in dried flower arrangements. They are flat-topped, with holes in which the seeds are found. The nut-like seeds can be eaten raw or cooked, or ground into flour and used for moon cake. This painting is part of local amateur botanist Richard Cresswell’s (1815–1882) collection. It is one of 86 Indian paintings (mostly botanical) and dates to the early 1800s. Many of the plants depicted in this collection were known for their use in Ayurvedic medicine.