Jepson Herbarium
The University and Jepson Herbaria
University of California, Berkeley
Jepson eFlora: Taxon page
Vascular Plants of California
Key to families | Table of families and genera
Previous taxon Index to accepted names and synonyms:
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
| N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
Next taxon

Lotus corniculatus

BIRD'S-FOOT TREFOIL


Higher Taxonomy
Family: Fabaceae (Leguminosae)View DescriptionDichotomous Key
Common Name: LEGUME FAMILY
Habit: Annual to tree. Leaf: generally alternate, generally compound, generally stipuled, generally entire, pinnately veined Inflorescence: generally raceme, spike, umbel or head; or flowers 1--few in axils. Flower: generally bisexual, generally bilateral; hypanthium 0 or flat to tubular; sepals generally 5, generally fused; petals generally 5, free, fused, or lower 2 +- united into keel (see 3, Key to Groups, for banner, wings); stamens 10 or many (or [1], 5, 6, 7, 9), free or fused or 10 with 9 filaments at least partly fused, 1 (uppermost) free; pistil 1, ovary superior, generally 1-chambered, ovules 1--many, style, stigma 1. Fruit: legume, including a stalk-like base (above receptacle) or not. Seed: 1--many, often +- reniform, generally hard, smooth.
Genera In Family: +- 730 genera, 19400 species: worldwide; with grasses, requisite in agriculture, most natural ecosystems. Many cultivated, most importantly Arachis, peanut; Glycine, soybean; Phaseolus, beans; Medicago, alfalfa; Trifolium, clovers; many orns. Note: Unless stated otherwise, fruit length including stalk-like base, number of 2° leaflets is per 1° leaflet. Upper suture of fruit adaxial, lower abaxial. Anthyllis vulneraria L. evidently a waif, a contaminant of legume seed from Europe. Laburnum anagyroides Medik., collected on Mount St. Helena in 1987, may be naturalized. Ceratonia siliqua L., carob tree (Group 2), differs from Gleditsia triacanthos L. in having evergreen (vs deciduous) leaves that are 1-pinnate (vs 1-pinnate on spurs on old stems, 2-pinnate on new stems) with 2--5(8) (vs 7--17) 1° leaflets, commonly cultivated, now naturalized in southern California. Aeschynomene rudis Benth. , Halimodendron halodendron (Pall.) Voss (possibly extirpated), Lens culinaris Medik. are agricultural weeds. Caragana arborescens Lam. only cult. Ononis alopecuroides L. , Sphaerophysa salsula (Pall.) DC. all evidently extirpated. Cercidium moved to Parkinsonia; Chamaecytisus to Cytisus; Psoralidium lanceolatum to Ladeania.
eFlora Treatment Author: Martin F. Wojciechowski, except as noted
Scientific Editor: Martin F. Wojciechowski, Thomas J. Rosatti.
Genus: LotusView DescriptionDichotomous Key


Habit: Annual, perennial herb, unarmed. Leaf: generally odd-1-pinnate; stipules gland-like, reduced to bumps, or inconspicuous; leaflets 3--9, lower 2 in stipular position or not, others +- palmately arranged. Inflorescence: umbel or 1--3-flowered, axillary, peduncled, bract 1--3-parted. Flower: corolla generally yellow, in age darkening; 9 filaments fused, 1 free. Fruit: dehiscent, exserted from calyx, linear to narrowly oblong, +- beaked. Seed: few to several.
Etymology: (Greek: derivation unclear) Note: Other taxa in TJM (1993) moved to Acmispon and Hosackia.
eFlora Treatment Author: Luc Brouillet
Reference: Brouillet 2008 J Bot Res Inst Texas 2:387--394
Unabridged Reference: Isely 1981 Mem New York Bot Gard 25:128--206
Lotus corniculatus L.
NATURALIZED
Habit: Perennial herb, glabrous or strigose. Stem: decumbent or ascending to erect, generally solid. Leaf: stipules gland-like; leaflets 5, 4--22 mm, 2--11 mm wide, ovate to obovate, tip obtuse, often abruptly soft-pointed or acuminate. Inflorescence: (1)3--7(10)-flowered; peduncle 1.5--12 cm. Flower: calyx 5--7.5 mm, lobes +- = tube, not outcurved in bud; corolla 10--14(16) mm, bright yellow. Fruit: 1.5--3(4) cm, narrowly oblong, glabrous. Seed: few to several. Chromosomes: 2n=24.
Ecology: Open, disturbed areas; Elevation: < 1000 m. Bioregional Distribution: CA-FP, GB; Distribution Outside California: to northern United States, southern Canada; native to Eurasia. Toxicity: Some plants TOXIC by production of cyanide-releasing compounds. Flowering Time: Jun--Sep
Jepson eFlora Author: Luc Brouillet
Reference: Brouillet 2008 J Bot Res Inst Texas 2:387--394
Index of California Plant Names (ICPN; linked via the Jepson Online Interchange)

Previous taxon: Lotus angustissimus
Next taxon: Lotus tenuis

Botanical illustration including Lotus corniculatusbotanical illustration including Lotus corniculatus


Please use this Google Form for Contact/Feedback

Citation for this treatment: Luc Brouillet 2012, Lotus corniculatus, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=31561, accessed on December 02, 2024.

Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) 2024, Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/, accessed on December 02, 2024.

Lotus corniculatus
click for image enlargement
©2005 Steve Matson
Lotus corniculatus
click for image enlargement
©2014 Steve Matson
Lotus corniculatus
click for image enlargement
©2014 California Academy of Sciences
Lotus corniculatus
click for image enlargement
©2016 Keir Morse
Lotus corniculatus
click for image enlargement
©2009 Barry Breckling

More photos of Lotus corniculatus
in CalPhotos



Geographic subdivisions for Lotus corniculatus:
CA-FP, GB
MAP CONTROLS
1. You can change the display of the base map layer control box in the upper right-hand corner.
2. County and Jepson Region polygons can be turned off and on using the check boxes.
map of distribution 1

(Note: any qualifiers in the taxon distribution description, such as 'northern', 'southern', 'adjacent' etc., are not reflected in the map above, and in some cases indication of a taxon in a subdivision is based on a single collection or author-verified occurrence).






 

Data provided by the participants of the  Consortium of California Herbaria.

MAP LEGEND
View all CCH records
All markers link to CCH specimen records. The original determination is shown in the popup window.
Blue markers indicate specimens that map to one of the expected Jepson geographic subdivisions (see left map). Purple markers indicate specimens collected from a garden, greenhouse, or other non-wild location.
Yellow markers indicate records that may provide evidence for eFlora range revision or may have georeferencing or identification issues.
READ ABOUT YELLOW FLAGS

CCH collections by month Flowering-Fruiting Monthly Counts

Duplicates counted once; synonyms included.
Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa, if there are more than 1 infraspecific taxon in CA.
Blue line denotes eFlora flowering time (fruiting time in some monocot genera).