Lotus is a perennial aquatic herb with thick rhizomes that are either upright or creeping. The leaves are of two types: floating leaves that float on the water surface, which are round, elliptical, or ovate, with bluntly rounded tips, deeply cleft at the base into horseshoe or heart shapes, with wavy or entire margins, or with teeth; submerged leaves are thin and delicate. Flowers are solitary, vary in size and color, and can float or rise above the water to bloom; they have 4 sepals and many petals and stamens. The fruit is a berry with a silky texture, matures in water, and cracks irregularly; the seeds are hard, dark green or brownish black, and are encased in a gelatinous covering with a false seed coat. Different varieties exhibit varying morphological characteristics.