List of plants known as lotus

Lotus identifies various plant taxa:

• Nelumbo, a genus of aquatic plants with showy flowers
  • Nelumbo nucifera, the Sacred or Indian lotus
  • Nelumbo lutea, the American or Yellow lotus

• Certain species of Nymphaea (water lilies or Egyptian lotuses):
  • Nymphaea caerulea, also known as blue lotus
  • Nymphaea lotus, white lotus or sacred lotus
  • Nymphaea nouchali, also known as star lotus

• Lotus (genus) (including bird's-foot trefoils and deervetches), a terrestrial genus with small flowers
• Saussurea (snow lotus), a herbaceous species from the Himalayan vicinity
• Ziziphus lotus, a shrub species with edible fruit
• Date-plum or Caucasian persimmon, a tree with edible fruit

Art and religion

"Sacred lotus" may refer to three species with religious significance that are often depicted in art:

• Nelumbo nucifera - in Buddhism, Hinduism and other Indian religions, and generally in Asia in and to the west of India. Padma (attribute) covers it in Indian religions.
• Nymphaea caerulea - the "blue lotus" in Ancient Egyptian religion
• Nymphaea lotus - the "white lotus" in Ancient Egyptian religion. The two Egyptian species are often interchangeable.

See also

• Lotus tree, the mythological incarnation of Lotis
• Lotus (disambiguation)