Distribution and habitat: Found through out China, Japan and in India, extending to N.W. Himalaya, Kashmir, W.Bengal, Central and southern areas of Bihar, Orissa, Maharashtra and in moist districts of South India, especially in hotter localities 

Botany: 

• Leaves: Membranous, peltate, entire, radiately nerved, 0.3-0.6 m or more in diameter, glabrous; petiole long, rough with small distant prickles, other wise smooth.
• Flowers: Solitary, 8-25 cm in diameter, white or rosy. Peduncles coming off from the nodes of the stem, sheathing at the base. Sepals small. Petals 5-12.5 cm long, elliptic, obtuse, finely veined, concave, at first erect, afterwards spreading. Anthers with a clavate appendage. Torus 18 mm  high, spongy; the top flat, 2.5 cm broad, becoming enlarged in fruit to a breadth of 5-10 cm.
• Fruit: Ripe carpels 10-12 mm long, ovoid, glabrous

Chemical constituents: 

• Leaves- Nuciferine, 10-nonacosanol, β& γ-sitosterol, nelumboside, dl-armepavine, liriodenine, D-N-methyl coclaurine, anonaine, pronuciferine, roemerine, O-nornuciferine dimethylcoclaurins, dl-nornuciferine (dl-1-methoxy-2-hydroxyporphine), glucose, palmitic acid and chlorophylls, dehydronuciferine, N-methylisococlaurine
• Flowers- n-triacontanol, α-amyrin, β-sitosterol, β-phenylalanine, arginine, kaempferol-3-glycoside, D-pronuciferine, liensinine
• Embryos- chlorophyll a and b, violaxanthin, neoxanthin, kaempferol-3-glucuronides, luteolin-7-glucoside, 4’-methyl-N-methyl-coclaurine
• Root- catechol, (+)-gallocatechol, neochlorogenic acid, leucocyanidin, leucodelphinidin
• Seeds- nuciferin, N-nornuciferine, oxoushinsunine, N-norarmepavine, linoleic and linolenic acids
• Leaf, pedicels and embryo-  nelumbine

Uses: 

• Whole plant is used in hyperpiesia, cholera, vomiting, burning sensation, skin diseases, intermittent fever, nervous exhaustion, cardiac debility.
• Stem is used in strangury, vomiting, leprosy, skin diseases, helminthiasis and   nervous exhaustion.
• Root is used in throat troubles, caries of teeth, leucoderma, smallpox, piles, cough, high fever, skin affections and ring worm.
• Leaves used in burning sensation, hyperdipsia, fever, miscarriage, threatened abortion, strangury, prolapse of rectum and leprosy.
• Flowers used in diarrhea, cholera, fever, diseases of liver and heart, internal injuries, bronchitis and skin eruptions.
• Stamens used in burning sensation, haemoptysis, bleeding piles, inflammations, stomatitis and menorrhagia.
• Fruit and seed used in hyperdipsia, skin diseases, leprosy, halitosis, burning sensation, vomiting, cough, fever, pectoral diseases, leprosy and pruritus.
• Flowers and fresh leaves ground with sandal wood or emblic myrobalans used in cooling application to forehead in cephalalgia, skin erysipelas and other external inflammations.

Formulations: Sudarsan churna 

Propagation: Seeds and rhizome