Nymphaea lotus Coptic flag. Claire Waight Keller included the flower to represent Malawi in Meghan Markle's wedding veil, which included the distinctive flora of each Commonwealth country. In some parts of Africa the rhizomes and tubers are eaten for the starch they contain either boiled, roasted or ground to a flour after drying. The young fruits are sometimes consumed as a salad. The seeds are turned into a meal. The tubers or the seeds are used as a famine food in India. The ancient Egyptians cultivated the white lotus in ponds and marshes. This flower often appears in ancient Egyptian decorations. They
Nymphaea lotus f. thermalis Nymphaea lotus f. thermalis Nymphaea lotus" f. "thermalis (sometimes referred to as Nymphaea lotus" var. "thermalis) is a form of "Nymphaea lotus" (commonly called the tiger lotus, white lotus or Egyptian white water-lily) in the genus "Nymphaea". Whilst some authorities list "Nymphaea lotus" f. "thermalis" as being synonymous with "N. lotus", others list it as a distinct taxon – further investigation is required to determine its precise classification. The usual habitat for "Nymphaea lotus" is the Nile Delta, hence "Nymphaea lotus" f. "thermalis"'s Romanian habitat is unusual. "Nymphaea lotus" f. "thermalis" is a water lily which blooms at night –