Lotus is an aquatic herbaceous plant of the Lotus genus in the Lotus family. The rhizome of lotus is thick and grows underground; The leaves are shield shaped and round, extending out of the water surface. The petiole is hollow and often prickly; The flower is solitary at the top of the stem, with sepals falling early and petals mostly red, pink, or white; The fruit is oval or ovoid in shape, black brown in color; Seeds are oval or elliptical in shape, red or white in color; Flowering period from June to August; The fruiting period is from August to October. Regarding the origin of the name "lotus", it is recorded in the "Shuowen Jiezi" that "lotus is the essence of the lotus." Xu Hao, a Qing person, said that the reason why it was called "lotus" was because the shape of the lotus pod was connected like a honeycomb. The original meaning of "lotus" is lotus seed, later used to refer to lotus flower.

Lotus root, the rhizome of most perennial aquatic herbaceous plants in the Lotus family. The roots and stems of the plant are lush and thick; Flowers float on the water surface, with elliptical or inverted petals; The stamens are numerous, the anthers are yellow, and the stigma is radiating; The seed grows in the "lotus pod" hole, oval in shape, with a red or white seed coat. The flowering period is from June to September, opening in the morning and closing at night every day; The fruit ripening period is from September to October. Regarding lotus root, it was first recorded in the Chinese folk song "Zheng Feng" of the State of Zheng during the pre Qin period: "There are Fusu in the mountains, and lotus flowers in the valleys." Among them, "lotus" represents lotus root.