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.