Nelumbo nucifera vs lotus

Nelumbo nucifera and lotus both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
Nelumbo nucifera	Yes	No	No	No
lotus	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, Nelumbo nucifera and lotus are synonyms defined as:

Nelumbo nucifera and lotus: native to eastern Asia; widely cultivated for its large pink or white flowers

Other synonyms of Nelumbo nucifera include Indian lotus, sacred lotus.

Nelumbo nucifera (noun)	lotus (noun)
native to eastern Asia; widely cultivated for its large pink or white flowers	white Egyptian lotus: water lily of Egypt to southeastern Africa; held sacred by the Egyptians
	native to eastern Asia; widely cultivated for its large pink or white flowers