Between 70–150; see text Lotus, a latinization of Greek lōtos (λωτός),[2] is a genus of flowering plants that includes most bird's-foot trefoils (also known as bacon-and-eggs)[3] and deervetches.

Most species have leaves with five leaflets; two of these are at the extreme base of the leaf, with the other three at the tip of a naked midrib.

The flowers are in clusters of three to ten together at the apex of a stem with some basal leafy bracts; they are pea-flower shaped, usually vivid yellow, but occasionally orange or red.

A 2006 study, primarily concerned with Eastern Lotus species and hence with limited sampling of the American genera, found that they were all monophyletic.

Species in this genus can fix nitrogen from the air courtesy of their root nodules, making them useful as a cover crop.

Scientific 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.