Seventy-two images of Lotus, sacred lotus, Nelumbo nucifera at Lake Leatherwood City Park, Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Lotus, sacred lotus, Nelumbo nucifera is an important mystical, sacred, food and medicinal plant in various Asian traditions. The flowers have the remarkable ability to regulate temperature in a narrow range, thought to be a pollination mechanism to attract certain insects. The rootlets, flowers, seeds, young leaves and roots are all used as food. All plant parts are used as separate herbal drugs in Chinese tradition. The sacred lotus is a symbol of sexual purity and non-attachment in Hindu tradtions.