Lotus: The lotus is a perennial aquatic herb with thick rhizomes that are either upright or creeping. The leaves are of two types: floating leaves float on the water surface, are round, elliptical, or ovate, with rounded tips, deeply cleft at the base into horseshoe or heart shapes, and have wavy or entire margins with teeth; submersed leaves are thin and delicate. Flowers are solitary, vary in size and color, and bloom either floating or emergent; there are 4 sepals and many petals and stamens. The fruit is a juicy berry that matures in water and cracks irregularly; the seeds are hard, dark green or brownish black, and are coated with a gelatinous substance, with a pseudocarp. Different varieties have varying morphological characteristics.