STUDY ON THE ANATOMICAL MORPHOLOGY OF LOTUS VARIETIES (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) IN VIETNAM

This paper presents the anatomy of six lotus varieties collected at different lotus planting areas in Vietnam. The six different lotus varieties include GiaLong pink, PhuMong pink, VinhThanh red, High-yield, Concave white and Convex white lotus. The results indicate that the adaptation of these lotuses to the aquatic environment is presented by the morphological and anatomical characteristics of the roots, stem, leaves as well as the presence of air canals in the lotuses. In addition to the similarities in the lotuses composition, there are other differences. These include the number and size of woody vessels, air space characteristics the thickness of the epidermis, the size of the cortex and pericycle root, and the size of the anabolic tissues among the six lotus varieties. Our findings show that although the six lotus varieties are cultivated under the same natural conditions, they are highly diversified in terms of the internal anatomical morphology. This is an important feature in identifying the native lotus, which contributes to strengthening and maintaining the local brand name - the Hue lotus. Furthermore, the results obtained in this study allow for extending the anatomical and morphological descriptions of these studied species and to reveal their important diagnostic characters.