Lotus
Nelumbium speciosum
The lotus japonicus is a common, hardy plant of thelegume family. It has pod-shaped fruit which resemblethe toes of a bird’s foot, hence its other name of “bird’sfoot trefoil”. In the presence of certain micro-organismsin the soil, the plant’s roots develop nodules calledzymbiosomes. In cosmetics, extract of lotus japonicuszymbiosome is used for its brightening properties.
