The lotus is called bua in Thai. But the Thai word has a broader meaning: it is used as the common name for three main varieties of water-lilies: First, bua luang or pathum (Nelumbo nucifera), which is the equivalent of the lotus and the chief concern of this article; secondly, bua sai or ubon (Nymphaea lotus), another kind of water-lily whose leaves float on the water surface and whose stem is edible; and thirdly, bua kradong (Victoria sp.), whose round leaves, also floating on water but turning upwards at the edge, are as large as a dining table and whose flowers have a stronger fragrance than the other two varieties.