In my yard have a lotus or a, water lily pond. Jaeb and I bought this . I have been calling it Lotus. So I decided to do some research about lotuses.
I live in Thailand which is Buddhist and the Lotus is a important symbol. Also Lotus and I call now water lilies are all over. At the temples and next to the rice fields. So by ignorance I just called them all Lotus.
When I started my research some YouTube videos said that all lotus leaves and flowers elevated above the water. All lilies leaves and flowers floated on the surface! I have seen that is not true!
Below is from Wikipedia. Reference to lotus..
while the leaves float on top of the water surface or are held well above it
The one feature I have seen is the lotus leaves, the stem is in the middle and with lilies their is a cleft on the leaf.
Lotus below is a nelumbo nucifere
This is a very important flower in Buddhist.
The flowers are sacred in Thai culture, a predominantly Buddhist society and are also used in traditional Thai medicine, cooking, and cultural celebrations. The lotus is a symbol of purification and enlightenment in Buddhism, rising clean and fragrant above the mud in which it is rooted.
Wikipedia is my source.
As you can see they often call lotus also water lily.
I think sometimes using both works or names in identifying the plant.
As a photography using both names in describing.
As I love photographing them.
Slide show of my Lotus and water lily to enjoy and buy
KanyaBotan
Life in SE ASIA a Daily Magazine
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LIFE SE ASIA MAGAZINE 
Amazing shots of the water lilly and lotus! They are both beautiful in their own way.
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Thank you
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You made my day!!! Good morning my friend!!
On the day when the lotus bloomed, alas, my mind was straying,
and I knew it not. My basket was empty and the flower remained unheeded.
Only now and again a sadness fell upon me, and I started up from my
dream and felt a sweet trace of a strange fragrance in the south wind.
That vague sweetness made my heart ache with longing and it seemed to
me that is was the eager breath of the summer seeking for its completion.
I knew not then that it was so near, that it was mine, and that this
perfect sweetness had blossomed in the depth of my own heart.
Rabindranath Tagore
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Wow thank you. Surprised what beautiful words
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