若干種不同植物的通稱，下列幾種是最為人所熟知的「蓮」：埃及的「蓮」是指白睡蓮（Nymphaea lotus）或藍睡蓮（N. caerulea），為埃及藝術中的重要母題，因其具有催眠與精神藥物的特性而被用於宗教儀式中。希臘的「蓮」則是指鼠李科（Rhamnaceae）的棗蓮（Ziziphus lotus），是原生於南歐的灌木，所生的大顆果實內含的粉狀物質可製成麵包及發酵飲料，在古代是窮人的食品，根據荷馬史詩中的描述，其果實釀出的酒可使人感到滿足並忘記憂愁；該物種很可能也是聖經《約伯記》中所提到的蓮花，其中描述狀似河馬的巨大生物（巨獸）伏在蓮葉之下。荷馬史詩中還提到另一種「蓮」，稱其像飼馬用的苜蓿或三葉草，這段描述所指稱的可能是黃香草木樨（Melilotus officinalis）或是百脈根屬之下的三葉草種。印度教的聖蓮是東方蓮（Nelumbo nucifera），花色為白色、藍色或粉紅。古羅馬人所稱的「利比亞蓮樹」可能是指南歐的蕁麻樹，即大麻科（Cannabaceae）的南方朴（Celtis australis），其果實似小櫻桃，初呈紅色，成熟時變黑色，古代作家曾提及其黑色硬質木材可用來刻製雕像、笛子等物。

蓮(植物，通稱)　(P,,U,繁體中文-偏好,D,U,U)
荷(植物，通稱)　(,U,繁體中文-非偏好,UF,U,U)
lotus(plant, general)　(P,,U,英文-偏好,D,U,U)
lotuses(plants, general)　(,U,英文-非偏好,AD,U,U)

藝術與建築詞典根目錄
....代理者層面
........活體有機體
............真核生物 (域)
................植物界 (界)
....................被子植物門 (門)
........................蓮 (植物，通稱)

distinguished from....

百脈根屬(屬)

英文....

General term referring to several dissimilar plants. Among the best known lotuses are the following: The Egyptian lotus is a white water lily, Nymphaea lotus or the blue lotus (N. caerulea), seen as a motif in art and used ceremonially for its soporific and psychotropic properties. The lotus of the Greeks was the species Ziziphus lotus of the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae), a bush native to southern Europe. It has large fruits containing a mealy substance that can be used for making bread and fermented drinks. In ancient times the fruits were an article of food among the poor, and a wine made from the fruit was thought to produce contentment and forgetfulness, as described in Homer. This is also probably the lotus mentioned in the Biblical Book of Job, where a large hippopotamus-like creature (behemoth) lies under the lotus tree. Homer also mentions the lotus as a kind of clover or trefoil that was food for horses, in this context perhaps Melilotus officinalis or a trefoil species of the Lotus genus. The sacred lotus of the Hindus was the waterlily Nelumbo nucifera, having white, blue, or pink flowers. The lotus tree, known to the Romans as the Libyan lotus, was probably the nettle tree of southern Europe, Celtis australis, a member of the elm family (Cannabaceae), with fruits like small cherries, first red and then black at maturity and mentioned by ancient writers for its hard, black wood, from which statues, flutes, etc. were carved.

lotus(plant, general)............	[VP]
.................	Oxford English Dictionary Online (2002-)
.................	Grove Art Online (2008-)
.................	Encyclopedia Britannica Online (2002-)
lotuses(plants, general)............	[VP]
.................	Oxford English Dictionary Online (2002-)

Getty AAT: 300375570 Getty AAT: http://www.getty.edu/vow/AATFullDisplay?find=costume&logic=AND¬e=&subjectid=300375570
聯合目錄： 蓮 、荷 、lotus 、lotuses