Lotus leaves are round or nearly round, or ovate, with some varieties being lanceolate or arrowhead-shaped; the leaves have entire margins, but those of tropical lotus have wavy edges; 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; the leaf veins are distinct or not very distinct. In a few tropical lotus varieties, small plants grow between the tip of the large cleft and the petiole attachment point on the leaf blade, 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 to 5 in number, green or purplish-red, or green with black spots, in shapes such as lanceolate, narrow ovate, or oblong. The bud is elongated peach-shaped or peach-shaped; petals are usually ovate, broadly ovate, oblong, elongated, reniform, or broadly lanceolate, with slightly pointed or slightly obtuse tips. The flower colors include red, pink, blue, purple, and white. Petals can be single, multiple, or double. Thus, the size, shape, and color of the petals vary by species, creating a vibrant flower appearance. The ovary is superior to perigynous, with the stamens wrapping around the pistil above before blooming, and then opening into a sickle shape upon maturity. The sepals, petals, and stamens are spirally arranged above the receptacle and ovary wall. The pistils form a ring-like arrangement embedded within the receptacle and are sympodial, with the upper style separating into a filiform style, centered by a nipple-like protrusion, forming a funnel shape. Upon maturity, the style releases style exudate, primarily containing glucose, fructose, and amino acids, to attract insects for pollination.

The lotus fruit is ovate to hemispheric, 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, either upright or creeping. The leaves are of two types: floating leaves float on the water surface, round, elliptical, or ovate, with rounded tips, deeply cleft at the base into horseshoe or heart shapes, with wavy entire or toothed edges; submersed leaves are thin and delicate. Flowers are solitary, with variations in size and color, blooming either floating or emergent; there are four sepals, and many petals and stamens. The fruit is a juicy berry, ripening in water with irregular cracking; the seeds are hard, deep green or dark brown, encased in a gelatinous coating with a false seed coat. Different varieties have different morphological characteristics.