Lotus leaves are round, nearly round, or ovate, with some varieties being lanceolate or arrowhead-shaped; they are entire-edged, but the leaf edges of tropical lotus are wavy; the upper surface is green and glossy, while the lower surface is purplish-red, with some varieties having dark brown spots or mottled patterns on the leaf surface; leaf veins are prominent or not very prominent. In a few varieties of tropical lotus, small plants grow between the tip of the large cleft on the leaf blade and the point of attachment to the petiole, a phenomenon known as "vivipary."

The lotus flower is composed of petals, sepals, stamens, pistils, styles, and peduncles. The flower is solitary and bisexual. Its sepals are 4-5 in number, green or purplish-red, sometimes with black spots, and come in shapes like lanceolate, narrow ovate, or oblong. The bud is elongated peach-shaped or peach-shaped; petals are typically ovate, broadly ovate, oblong, oblong, reniform, or broadly lanceolate, with tips slightly pointed or slightly obtuse. Colors include red, pink, blue, purple, and white. Petals can be single, multi-layered, or double-layered, with variations in size, shape, and color depending on the variety, creating a vibrant flower appearance. The ovary is superior to perigynous, with stamens wrapping around the pistil above before blooming, then unfurling into a sickle shape upon maturity. Sepals, petals, and stamens are spirally arranged above the receptacle and ovary wall. The pistils are arranged in a ring and embedded within the receptacle, fused together, with the upper style separate, the stigma filamentous, and the center with a nipple-like protrusion, forming a funnel shape. Upon maturity, the stigma secretes substances, primarily containing glucose, fructose, and amino acids, to attract insects for pollination.

The lotus fruit is ovate to hemispherical, matures in water, and cracks irregularly; the seeds are small, elliptical or spherical; most have an aril.

Lotus is a perennial floating-leaf aquatic herb with thick rhizomes that are either upright or creeping. The leaves are of two types: floating leaves float on the water surface and are round, elliptical, or ovate with bluntly rounded tips; the base is deeply cleft into a horseshoe or heart shape, with wavy entire or toothed edges; submerged leaves are thin and delicate. Flowers are solitary, vary in size and color, and bloom either floating or emergent; there are four sepals and many petals and stamens. The fruit is a juicy berry that matures in water and splits irregularly; the seeds are hard, deep green or dark brown, encased in a gelatinous coating with a pseudocarp. Different varieties have different morphological characteristics.