600-year-old lotus seed blossoms for first time

A 600-year-old lotus flower has woken up and blossomed, revealing colors of white and cyan, reports Anhuinews.com.

A 600-year-old lotus flower blossoms on Sunday and is on display at an exhibition along with more than 3,000 other lotuses at Hefei Botanical Garden in Anhui province. (Photo/www.ahwang.cn)

Nurtured by technicians, the ancient seed blossomed on Sunday and is on display at an exhibition along with more than 3,000 other lotuses at Hefei Botanical Garden in Anhui province.The seed, along with 220 other ones, was discovered at a construction site in Jining city, Shandong province, in spring of 2014 and then passed on to the Beijing Botanical Garden.Based on scientific analysis carried out by Peking University, the seeds were buried around 1,280 to 1,420 years ago, which would have been in the Yuan or early Ming Dynasty.After successful sowing, some of the seeds blossomed in Beijing in June, revealing a pink color. However, the one in Hefei bears more white and cyan, meaning it is potentially a different type.

Source : http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2015-08/18/content_36334439.htm