View source for Lotus tree

{{Short description|Plant in Greek and Roman mythology}}
The '''lotus tree''' ({{langx|grc|λωτός}}, ''lōtós'') is a plant that is referred to in stories from [[Greek mythology|Greek]] and [[Roman mythology]].

The lotus tree is mentioned in [[Homer]]'s ''[[Odyssey]]'' as bearing a fruit that caused a pleasant drowsiness, and which was said to be the only food of an island people called the Lotophagi or [[lotus-eaters]]. When they ate of the lotus tree, they would forget their friends and homes and would lose their desire to return to their native land in favor of living in idleness.<ref>Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, page 526, by Ebenezer Cobham Brewer</ref>  

Botanical candidates for the lotus tree include the persimmon (''[[Diospyros lotus]]''), which is a [[Semi-deciduous|sub-evergreen]] tree native to [[Southwest Asia]] and [[Southeast Europe]] that grows to about {{convert|25|ft|abbr=on}} bearing yellowish green flowers, as well as ''[[Ziziphus lotus]]'', a plant with an edible fruit closely related to the [[jujube]], native to the [[Mediterranean region]] of Europe, Asia and [[North Africa]].

In [[Ovid]]'s ''[[Metamorphoses]]'',<ref>Elizabeth Washington Wirt, ''Flora's dictionary''</ref> the [[nymph]] [[Lotis (mythology)|Lotis]] was the beautiful daughter of [[Neptune (mythology)|Neptune]], the god of water and the sea.  In order to flee the violent attention of [[Priapus]], she invoked the assistance of the gods, who answered her prayers by turning her into a lotus tree.<ref>Richard Folkard, ''Plant lore, legends, and lyrics''</ref>

The [[Quran]] has a legendary plant, the [[Sidrat al-Muntaha|Lote tree]], that marks the end of the [[Seven Heavens|seventh heaven]].<ref>{{Cite quran|53|14|style=ns}}</ref> In the Bible, the [[Book of Job]] also has two lines ({{bibleverse-nb||job|40:21-22}}), with the Hebrew word צֶאֱלִים{{ltr}} (''tse'elim''),<ref>{{Strong-number|צֶאֱלִים|H|6628}}</ref> which appears [[Hapax legomenon|nowhere else]] in the Bible. A recent translation into English has been "lotus trees" since the publication of the [[Revised Version]] of the [[King James Bible]] of 1881. However, it is otherwise rendered simply as "shady trees".<ref name=Barnes1857>{{Cite book| publisher = Leavitt and Allen| last = Barnes| first = Albert| author-link = Albert Barnes (theologian) | title = Notes, critical, illustrative, and practical, on the book of Job with a new translation, and an introductory dissertation| location = New York| access-date = 2014-09-15| date = 1857 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=0-dHAQAAIAAJ | volume = II | at = p. 276}}, or [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/job/40.htm html].</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of plants known as lotus]]
* [[Lotus (genus)|''Lotus'' (genus)]]
* ''[[Nymphaea lotus]]''
* [[Lotus-eaters#Mythology|Lotus-eaters]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Greek religion|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Metamorphoses]]
[[Category:Mythological plants]]
[[Category:Objects in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Odyssey]]
[[Category:Plants in the Bible]]
[[Category:Trees in mythology]]


{{AncientGreek-reli-stub}}