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All water lilies or lotuses' tubers and rhizomes can be used as food items, usually eaten boiled or roasted, though many varieties' tubers can be eaten raw. Rhizome formation usually coincides with the appearance of large floating leaves on the surface of the water, about 5-6 months after its plantation; and the whole plant's typically harvested annually, in late summer or early autumn, when the seeds have matured. Lotus roots have a moderately high calorie count, with the same amount of calories/kg to potatoes, and are similarly very rich in starch; they also provide far more dietary fiber, protein, vitamin C and essential minerals than potatoes per net weight.

The unripe seeds embedded in the receptacle are also edible and nutritious - the seeds are eaten after removing the outer covering, which is bitter in taste. The seeds, which are sweet and nutty in flavor, are eaten raw, roasted, boiled, steamed, or dried and milled into flour. Additionally, the tender leaves and flower peduncles of some varieties are also valued as food; lotus stems are used in preparing salads, and the dried flowers are used in cooked dishes. So then, how plausible do you think it might be for a civilization or society to domesticate and cultivate water lilies or lotuses as their staple crop?
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