从民族植物学的角度考察汉语中关于莲(Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.)的语汇, 介绍莲的民间应用 。并着重从俗文化、佛教文化和儒文化三方面分析莲的文化价值。 莲的植物文化应与上古植物崇拜有关, 佛教首先赋予莲以清静纯洁的象征意义, 随着佛教的传播和汉化而被儒家吸收, 并影响到俗文化。 莲的植物文化价值取向的变迁与中国文化源流的大背景密切相关。
 

From the view point of ethnobotany , this paper examines the Chinese vocabularies on lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn .)and introduces its folk utilization. It mainly analy zes the cultural values of lotus from the Chinese customs , the Buddhism and the Confucianism .Chinese traditional plant culture of lotus concerned with the prehistoric worship of plants .The Buddhism gifted lo tus w ith the symbol of quietness and pure at first, the Co nfucian culture absorbed this idea .It also affected the Chinese custom culture accompanied the propag ation and nationlizing of the Buddhism . The modification of inclination of plant culture values on lo tus w as closely linked w ith the historical backg round of the Chinese culture .