The Indian lotus of the genus Nelumbo (see Nymphaeaceae). Particularly the sacred lotus plant of Hinduism and Buddhism, Nelumbo nucifera. All parts of nucifera are edible and the plant is a popular ingredient in Asian cuisine.
An Egyptian water lily, also called Egyptian lotus, of the genus Nymphaea (see Nymphaeaceae).
The Lotus-eaters of the Odyssey are thought to have eaten a species of jujube, Ziziphus lotus; this would be the lotus tree that the mythological Lotis had been transformed into.
"Lotus" also occurs in the common names or cultivar names of numerous unrelated plants.
