Rare lotus flower with two pistils found in China's Guangxi

Photo shows a rare lotus flower with two pistils at Guangxi University in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of Guangxi University)

A rare "twin-pistil lotus flower," a natural occurrence estimated to happen once in a million blooms, recently blossomed at a lake on the Guangxi University campus in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. This is the first time such a remarkable flower has been recorded at the university.

In addition, several twin lotus flowers — flowers with two blooms on a single stalk — have also been found. The chance of this occurring is less than one in 100,000.

Both the twin-pistil lotus and twin lotus flowers require precise conditions for water temperature, sunlight and water quality. Their delicate beauty, however, is short-lived, lasting only six to seven days and blooming each morning between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.

Photo shows a rare lotus flower with two pistils (left) at Guangxi University in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Lei Qijun)

Photo shows a twin lotus flower at Guangxi University in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Lei Qijun)

Photo shows twin lotus flowers at Guangxi University in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of Guangxi University)

Photo shows twin lotus flowers at Guangxi University in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of Guangxi University)