Centuries-old lotus blooms in East China's Zhejiang

(ECNS) -- Centuries-old lotus flowers, cultivated from ancient Song Dynasty (960-1279) seeds, bloomed in large clusters in Jinhua City, East China's Zhejiang Province on Thursday—a milestone with significant implications for genetics research.

Compared to modern lotus varieties, the Song Dynasty lotus flowers feature fewer petals, a more delicate flower shape, and a simpler ovary structure.

These ancient lotus seeds were originally preserved by the Department of Biology at Peking University, with eight seeds later gifted to the government of Hengshan Town in Quzhou City, Zhejiang. To ensure the successful revival of the Song Dynasty lotus, the Hengshan Town government entrusted the planting to a research team at the Jinhua Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Thanks to the team's cultivation and propagation, the ancient lotus has progressed from a single blooming specimen to a small, stable population with multiple offspring, laying a foundation for ongoing observation and research.

(By Gong Weiwei)