Lotus tree

Common card · No. 357101

The lotus tree (Ancient Greek: λωτός, lōtós) is a plant that is referred to in stories from Greek and Roman mythology. It is not known if it was real or mythical, and there are multiple candidates for possible real plants that might have been given that name. The lotus tree is mentioned in Homer's Odyssey as bearing a fruit that caused a pleasant drowsiness, and which was said to be the only food of an island people called the Lotophagi or lotus-eaters. When they ate of the lotus tree, they would forget their friends and homes and would lose their desire to return to their native land in favor of living in idleness. Botanical candidates for the lotus tree include the persimmon (Diospyros lotus), which is a sub-evergreen tree native to Southwest Asia and Southeast Europe that grows to about 25 ft (7.6 m) bearing yellowish green flowers, as well as Ziziphus lotus, a plant with an edible fruit closely related to the jujube, native to the Mediterranean region of Europe, Asia and North Africa...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), CC BY-SA 4.0