蓮葉桐由於葉柄位於葉片底下，形狀像蓮葉，加上葉片寬大像梧桐，而有了蓮葉桐之名，葉脈基部有一塊紅斑是辨識的重點。它是典型的海漂植物，扁橢圓形果實木質化，外面被肉質杯狀苞片覆蓋，能協助果實漂浮海面上，隨潮流飄散至太平洋、印度洋等地的熱帶氣候濱海地區，包括中國南部、東南亞、印度、大洋洲及非洲東部海岸都有它的蹤跡。

Sea Cups’ petiole occurs under the leaf, shaped like a lotus leaf, and the broad leaf resembles a sycamore, hence the Chinese name. A red spot on the vein base is the distinctive feature. It is a typical sea-floating plant and produces flat oval fruits which are lignified and covered by fleshy cup-shaped bracts allowing the fruit to float on the sea surface and drift along the tide to the tropical climate coastal areas of the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, including southern China. It can also be found in Southeast Asia, India, Oceania and the eastern coast of Africa.

臺灣原生常綠喬木，樹皮平滑，灰褐色；枝條萌芽力強。單葉，互生，無托葉，有光澤，心形或盾形，全緣，圓盾形的葉片很像蓮花葉，故名之。單性花，聚繖花序成圓錐狀排列，有銀白色絨毛，一年開花兩次，各在11~ 12月及2~ 3月。核果，扁球形，黑色，上有稜脊多條，外包被杯狀肉質的果托，僅先端有圓形開口。肉質杯狀苞可協助果實於海上漂浮，屬海漂植物。種子之種皮被內部增生的珠心破碎分解，致使內部胚呈不規則皺縮，形成迷宮種子(labyrinth seed)或稱芻蝕種子(ruminate seed)。果期12~1月。

Taiwan native evergreen trees, with taupe smooth bark; strong shoot germination potential. Single leaf, alternate, stipules free, glossy, heart-shaped or shield-shaped, entire, round shield-shaped leaves a lot like lotus leaves, that’s why the plant is named. Unisexual flowers, cymes are arranged in a conical shape, with silvery white villi, flowering twice a year, in November to December and February to March. Drupe, oblately spheroidal, black, with plenty ribs and cup-shaped fleshy fruit stalks, with rounded openings at the apex only. The fleshy cupped bracts help the fruit to float on the sea, so it’s categorized as a sea dispersal plant. The seed coat is broken down by the inner proliferated nucellus, causing the internal embryo to shrink irregularly, forming a labyrinth seed or a ruminate seed. Fruiting from December to January.

喜溫暖，全日照或半遮蔭，耐風、耐鹽、耐旱。繁殖可用播種、扦插法。

The plant enjoys warm, full sun or partial sun environments, resistant to wind, salt and drought. Propagated by seeding and cutting.

可做庭園景觀樹、海岸防風林等。種子具有毒性，但含有油質可提煉用來作為肥皂、橡膠代用品原料。根可解魚或蟹中毒，種子為瀉藥，樹液可當脫毛劑。

It can be cultivated as garden landscape trees, coastal windbreaks, etc. Seeds are toxic, but contain oil which can be extracted into a raw material for making soaps and rubber substitutes. The roots can be used to detoxicate fish or crab poisoning; the seeds can be laxative, and the sap can be used as a depilatory agent.