Lotus
Lotus, the common name of several species of water lilies. Lotuses are often grown for their fragrant, showy flowers. They have round leaves that grow to three feet (90 cm) in diameter. The leaves and the flowers float on the surface of the water.
The Egyptian lotus, a water lily with white flowers, and the blue lotus, a water lily with light blue flowers, were used as subjects in ancient Egyptian art. The Indian, or sacred, lotus, a white- or rose-flowered water lily, is considered sacred by Buddhists. Its seed is called the sacred bean.
The Egyptian lotus is Nymphaea lotus; blue, N. caerulea; Indian, Nelumbo nucifera; American, Nehtmbo lutea. Lotuses belong to the water lily family, Nymphaeaceae.