The botanical name "Nelumbo lutea" Willd. It suggested that water lilies ("Nelumbo lutea") might deny it sunlight. Nelumbo lutea is a species of flowering plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. The other lotus is "Nelumbo lutea" and is native to North America and the Caribbean. Indeed, "" is an adaptation of the Miami-Illinois term for the American lotus, "Nelumbo lutea".