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| | LOTUS, |
 | | In Greek legend, the lotophagi (“lotus-eaters”), those who ate the fruit of the lotus tree, forgot their friends and homes and lost all desire to return to their native land. |
 | | Because the legends, as they have been passed down to the present, are inexact, it is not certain what plant may have been referred to, and several species have been suggested: Zizyphus lotus, a jujube; Celtis australis, a nettle tree; and Nitraria tridentata, a desert shrub—all of which are native to the Mediterranean region. |
 | | The seeds and rhizomes of this aquatic genus are edible, and its leaves are held above the water on long stalks. |
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