Key to Lotus

View taxon page for Lotus

(For a list of species in Lotus, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Annual, hairy; inflorescence 1–3-flowered; corolla 5–8(12) mm ..... L. angustissimus

1' Perennial herb, glabrous or hairy; inflorescence generally 3–12-flowered; corolla (6)7–14(18) mm

2. Inflorescence (5)8–12(15)-flowered; calyx 

lobes 

1. A major expansion or bulge, such as on the margin of a leaf, sepal, or petal, or on the surface of an ovary. 2. The free tips of otherwise fused structures, such as sepals or petals; larger than teeth.

often outcurved in 

bud 

1. An incompletely developed, more or less embryonic shoot, usually covered with bud scales. 2. An unopened flower, often protected by sepals.

; 

rhizome 

1. In seed plants, stem that is often elongate, more or less horizontal, usually underground; distinguished from roots by bearing of leaves, leaf scars, axillary buds, etc. 2. In ferns, stem that is located underground, embedded in leaf litter, on rocks or in rock crevices, or on trees or tree branches, often scaly or hairy; distinguished from roots by bearing of fronds (roots rarely bear fronds), and their greater diameter.

present; stem generally hollow, hairs often 

spreading 

Oriented more or less perpendicularly to the axis of attachment; often, more or less horizontal.

..... L. uliginosus

2' Inflorescence 1–7(10)-flowered; calyx lobes not outcurved in bud; rhizome 0; stem generally solid, glabrous or 

strigose 

With stiff, straight, sharp, appressed hairs.

3. Leaflet length of longest upper leaves 1.6–3(4) × width; corolla 10–14(16) mm ..... L. corniculatus

3' Leaflet length of longest upper leaves (2.5)3.2–5 × width; corolla (6)7–10(12) mm ..... L. tenuis

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