Flower Bud Formation of Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.): A Case Study of ‘Gyozankouren’ Grown in a Container

The genus Nelumbo consists of two species, N. nucifera and N. lutea. N. nucifera is an ornamental and edible plant that is widely cultivated. Earlier studies of sacred lotus (N. nucifera) flowers focused mainly on morphology, phyllotaxis, leaf arrangements, and flower development. During the growing season, sacred lotus produces one foliage leaf at each node. Flower buds emerge from the abaxial side of the basal part of the foliage leaf. However, the number of blooming flowers is much less than the number of foliage leaves. Little is known concerning flower bud formation during lotus plant development. This is the first experimental study to reveal that every node has one flower bud even in the dormant shoot apex and that most of the formed flower buds aborted in the course of floral development. Our results suggest that flower bud formation of sacred lotus is independent of daylength. On the other hand, whether a formed bud reaches blooming may depend on environmental factors.