Late Summer Beauty

American Lotus (Nelumbo lutea)

"God has sown his name on the heavens in glittering stars; but on earth he planteth his name by tender flowers."
 Jean Paul Richter (1763-1825): German Novelist


Often overlooked because of where it grows, this lotus abides in ponds and lakes. The flower is large, about the size of a dinner plate. Beauty is everywhere if we just train our eyes to see. After maturing, the yellow cone shaped part of the flower(first picture) turns into the black head that holds the seeds on the stalk in the second picture.