Lily Pad Carpet Over Shallow Pond Water

Round green leaves cover nearly the whole frame, floating on dark, shallow water that shows through in blue-grey patches. Some leaves are fresh and smooth, others are folded, torn or turning tan and brown, so the colours run from deep green to olive to dry copper. Small patches of bright green algae or duckweed sit between the pads. No flowers are visible, and the light is soft and overcast with no hard shadows. The mood is quiet and a little untidy, like a pond late in the growing season.

The facts name this as Nelumbo nucifera, the sacred lotus, a species of the family Nelumbonaceae that is widely grown across India and Asia. Its leaves are round and water-repellent, and the surface makes water bead and roll off. Older leaves yellow and die back while new ones keep emerging, which would explain the mix of green and brown here. Some of the smaller round pads in this scene may be other aquatic plants, so the picture is best read as a general pond surface. The even texture and muted palette suit a widescreen desktop, where icons will not compete with the pattern, and also work well as a calm tablet background.