Lotus: The lotus is a perennial floating-leaf aquatic herb with thick rhizomes, either upright or creeping. The leaves are biphyletic, with floating leaves that float on the water surface, round, elliptical, or ovate, with rounded apices, deeply cleft at the base into horseshoe or heart shapes, with wavy entire or toothed margins; submerged leaves are thin and delicate. Flowers are solitary, vary in size and color, and bloom either floating or emergent; with 4 sepals and numerous petals and stamens. The fruit is a pulpy berry that matures in water and splits irregularly; seeds are hard, dark green or brownish-black, encased in a gelatinous substance, with a false seed coat. Different varieties exhibit varying morphological characteristics.