D175【FT-赏荷花】V-learn小西妈双语工程1907期112+Eric7.23

宝贝疙瘩蛋

夏日主题--赏荷花，揭秘荷花如何出淤泥而不染--超疏水表面。亲眼看一看亲手摸一摸，也正是受到荷叶的启发，人类发明了人工超疏水材料，用于汽车飞机挡风玻璃，防污衣服等。

• Lotus is a type of floating aquatic plant of the genus Nelumbo莲属.
  
• Lotus lives in shallow and murky黑暗的 ponds and lakes that are exposed to direct sunlight. It cannot survive in colder climates.
  
• Lotus is a symbol of beauty, grace, purity and serenity.
  

1. Life cycle of lotus flower

2. 荷花组成部分---Flower

• Flower can reach 8 inches (0.2 meter) in diameter.
  
• Lotus is either pink or white in color.
• Petals are shaped like a dagger /ˈdæɡər/短剑. They are arranged in several layers.
• Lotus flower protrudes突出several inches above the water.
  
• The reproductive parts are in the middle of the flower. A large receptacle resembling a shower head is centrally located and contains the female flower parts and eventually the seeds.
• The female flower structures, the stigmas, poke through the holes in the receptacle. The male flower parts, the stamens, are thickly set in multiple rings completely surrounding the receptacle. The stamens have yellow anthers at their ends that produce pollen, which contains protein and which pollinators need for food. The stigmas have a sticky surface so pollen grains will stick to them.

走了好久，靠近路边的荷花都没有了，好不容易发现一处，幸运的是有一个花苞，也有一朵绽放的花，近距离观察的好机会。

(1) Flowering Sequence开花顺序
找不同花期的荷花拍照，帮助Eric理解荷花的开花顺序。 Lotus flower is known by its beautiful odor /ˈoʊdər/ 气味，闻一闻，一种描述不上来的清香，用来吸引授粉的昆虫。 Flower opens in the morning and closes at night. Lotus flowers have a three- or four-day life span.

• On the first day they open, they open only partially, exposing the tips of the stamens, which are not yet releasing pollen but are releasing scent. The stigmas are sticky and ready to receive pollen, and pollinators can enter.
  
• The flower petals tightly close at twilight黄昏, reopening fully to the bowl shape on the second day. Now the stamens are releasing pollen and the stigmas are still receptive, and the flowers are wide open to visiting insects. The petals close again at the end of the day, but not as tightly.
  
• On the third day the flower opens again, but the stigmas are dry and the stamens begin to wilt枯萎.
  
• On subsequent days the petals and stamens fall off, leaving only the receptacle花托 with the developing seeds.
  

(2) How Does Lotus Pollinate?

• Cross-pollination occurs when beetles trapped within the lotus flower on the first night put pollen already on their bodies from other flowers onto the stigma. The stamens on the flower they're trapped in aren't yet releasing pollen, so self-pollination doesn't happen.
  
• Beetles trapped on the second night can pick up pollen being released from the same flower, and some self-pollination may occur.
  
• Once pollen lands on the stigma, a pollen tube grows through the stigma down to the ovary, where fertilization occurs to form the seed.
  
• Seeds are large and oval, with a very hard seed coat that protects the seed well, with germination reported for still viable 100- to 1,300-year-old lotus seeds.

现学现卖，老母亲厚脸皮用自己的语言简单讲一讲。

(3) Heat Production荷花可以自己调节温度，是我没有想到的，自然界太奇妙了，所有存在都有它的理由

• Lotus has an amazing way for regulating the temperature of flower. This ability is often compared with the warm-blooded animals and human beings.
  
• Flowers can regulate their overnight temperature to between 86 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit, even if the outside temperature is only 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
  
• To attract beetles, lotus flowers generate heat.
  
• The flower breaks down its starches淀粉质 to provide increased flower temperatures during the evening and early morning hours. This rewards beetles trapped inside the closed flower at night with a snug, warm environment that allows them to remain active, feeding and pollinating.
  
• The heat also helps spread the flower's fragrance, advertising its readiness for pollinators.

3. 荷花组成部分---Stem

多刺，空心的杆用来传输氧气。捡到一根茎，传说中的藕断丝连，还有白色的液体，Eric说是milk。

当时没想到这部分，回家google补充：

• "White juice" is organic matter made by plants. “白色汁液”是植物制造的有机物．
• The sieve tube is a pipeline for transporting organic nutrients produced by leaf photosynthesis in the phloem of the plant. It consists of many tubular living cells connected up and down. There are many small holes on the transverse wall of two adjacent cells, called "sieve holes". 筛管是植物韧皮部内输导叶子光合作用制造的有机养料的管道．由许多管状活细胞上下连接而成．相邻两细胞的横壁上有许多小孔，称为“筛孔”。
  

4. 荷花组成部分---Seed
莲子还未成熟，但看到了新鲜的莲蓬头，讲授粉的时候顺带说了一下。

• The lotus plant and its seeds are commonly consumed and utilized for medicinal purposes across many countries in Asia.
  
• The lotus seeds nutrition facts also include insignificant amounts of vitamins and minerals, including calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium and zinc.
  
• Seed can remain viable (able to germinate) long period of time. One type of lotus seed managed to develop into plant after 1300 years of dormancy.
  

5. 荷花组成部分---Root（季节未到，所以没有看到莲藕）

• Lotus uses rhizomes根状茎 to attach itself to the ground. Rhizome is buried in the mud or in the sandy floor.
  
• Lotus root (renkon) harvest begins by August and lasts until fall. Traditionally, farmers sink their legs in knee-deep ponds and try to feel for the rhizome guiding their toes, which are then dug out by hand.
  

Health benefits of Lotus root

6. 荷花组成部分---leaf

Lotus Effect : How are lotus leaves able to clean its leaf by itself?
Look at its leaves, lotus leaves are so round and large. It looks like other normal leaves so what so special that they can clean themselves? Lotus leaves don't get them wet or dirty because water keeps floating only not soaking. You can splash water as much as you want but water easily gets removed by rolling off.

近距离观察超疏水表面.，Lotus plants have superhydrophobic surfaces

Q：What is superhydrophobic surface?

• Superhydrophobic surface means very difficult to wet or dirt the object due to water repellent surface. 超疏水表面是指由于疏水表面而很难润湿或弄脏物体。
  
• The superhydrophobic surface is made of nanoscale hairs (extremely small or microscopic or tiny) surface layer that repels water. 超疏水表面由排斥水的纳米级毛发（极小或微观或微小）制成。
• Water droplets or anything which floats like water, when reaches leaves surface fully bounces back like a ball or pancake, but the surface don't get wet.水滴或任何像水一样漂浮的东西，当到达叶子表面时会像球或薄煎饼一样完全弹回，但表面不会变湿。
  

Q: Why is lotus leaves waterproof? How can water dance on lotus leaves?

• Lotus leaves are waterproof and dirt proof too. Its leaves are water repellent because of the rough textures which trap air to provide protection against water. That rough texture is a part of the superhydrophobic surface.

惭愧，我也没记住 superhydrophobic，就告诉Eric这是lotus effect, 刚好下雨，就带他一起观察雨滴落到荷叶上是怎样的，他自己说出了waterproof，专业词汇不纠结，反正我们还会遇到的。

7. 中文相应古诗词。 赏荷花，怎能不想到池上，快来演绎，哈哈：

找了根树棍在岸边模拟划船，因为要做动作，只录了Eric自己唱古诗。

意外的收获，买了2个小葫芦，发现了水稻和芝麻。 8. Craft: How to make a lotus flower? 因为不能采摘荷花，Eric心心念念想要一朵，妈妈答应回家折一朵。折纸说明，看着不难，妈妈踊跃尝试，又挫败了一次。 Eric做简单的荷叶和荷花部分的初始折叠，后面妈妈来帮忙，再次证明妈妈的手工能力真是让人堪忧，拖后腿了。

9. Difference between water lily and lotus傻傻分不清楚

10. Experiments:
Prepare some lotus leaves.忘了捡一片回来，再找机会吧。
Step1: A jug full of water slowly pours the water down on the leaf. What did you get to see? This superhydrophobic effect you can see by yourself.
Step2: If you want to test further then you can pour one full spoon of honey on its leaf. It will take time but soon will be removed like water did.

PS: 最近天气凉爽，荷花之行终于实现，濛濛细雨刚好帮助我们观察荷叶的表面，赏花的人很多，路边各种水果和野菜，都是平日里见不到的，买了李子、桃子、葡萄回来，品尝后Eric说味道很赞。