What types of lotus roots are there? Where are they mainly distributed?

Lotus root is a large perennial aquatic herbaceous plant of the Nymphaeaceae family. It has many other names in history, such as lotus, hibiscus and lotus. It was not called lotus root until the "Agricultural Policy Complete Book" written by Xu Guangqi in the 17th century. , and is still used today. Lotus roots have been differentiated into three major types: lotus root, seed lotus and flower lotus. Lotus root is cultivated from Hainan in the south to Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Liaoning and other provinces in the north, mainly in the Yangtze River Basin. The main production areas of Zilian are in Hunan, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi and other provinces. Xianglian, Xuanlian, Jianlian and Ganlian are collectively known as the "Four Famous Lotuses in China". Hualien is mainly used for outdoor landscape and potted plant viewing. It has been widely used in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shanghai and other provinces (cities). It is mainly used for waterscape design and water greening.

The most famous lotus seeds in my country are Xianglian produced in Xiangtan County, Hunan, Jianlian produced in Jianning County, Fujian, Xuanlian produced in Xuanping County (now Wuyi County), Zhejiang, and Ganlian produced in Guangchang County, Jiangxi. It has been cultivated for thousands of years. It was once offered to the imperial court as a good nourishing product and was known as one of the four famous lotuses in China. At present, hollow dried lotus is still a pillar industry in these areas. The products are sold at home and abroad, and combined with local folk customs, a variety of lotus cultures have been formed. At the same time, agricultural tourism, tourism, health care and other industries have been derived. In addition to the four famous lotuses, Lishui Chuzhou White Lotus in Zhejiang Province and Jiandel Ye White Lotus are also famous, with stable cultivation area and promising industrial development prospects.