approximately 150 recognised species, including:
Lotus berthelotii
Lotus corniculatus
Lotus glaber
Lotus heermanii var. orbicularis
Lotus japonicus
Lotus scoparius
Lotus uliginosus

See lotus for other uses, including several other plant taxa bearing this name.

The genus Lotus contains approximately 150 species distributed world-wide. Lotus is a legume and its members are adapted to a wide range of habitats from marine environments to high altitudes.

Several species are culvivated for forage, including L. corniculatus , L. glaber , and L.uliginosis . Scentific research for crop improvement and understanding the general biology of the genus is focused on L. japonicus which is currently the subject of a full genome sequencing project, and is considered a model organism.

Some species, such as the Lotus berthelotii from the Canary Islands, are grown as ornamental plants.

Lotus species can produce toxic cyanogenic glycosides which can be potentially toxic to livestock. They also produce tannins which are a beneficial anti-bloating compound.

Bird's Foot Lotus (Lotus corniculatus) is an invasive species in some regions of North America and Australia.