LOTUS PEREGRINUS

Family and Genus:- See- LEGUMINOSAE/Sect. LOTEA

Common Name:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Lotus (Gr) The ancient name for various leguminous plants.

Peregrinus (L) Strange, foreign, exotic.

General description:- Pubescent annual.

Stem:-

1) 10-50 cm.

Leaves:-

1) Petiolate, leaflets. 5-15 x 3-8 mm,

a) upper, 3, obovate to rhombic.

b) lower, 2, ovate, always cuneate at the base.

Flowers:-

1) 2- to 5-flowered; peduncles shorter than or equalling the leaves.

2) Calyx-teeth, lateral, very short, obtuse.

3) Corolla, 6-9 mm.

Fruit:-

1) Legume, 20-50 x 2-3 mm, not or only slightly torulose, straight.

Key features:-

1) Peduncles, shorter than the subtending leaves in fruit.

2) Lowest pair of leaflets ovate or elliptic-ovate.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Sandy and gravelly coastal habitats, dry open shrubby vegetation, open

coniferous woodland, fallow fields and olive groves. 0-600(-1100) m.

Distribution:- W Peloponnisos. - E Mediterranean area from Greece to S Anatolia,

Cyprus, Syria, Egypt and Libya. Fairly widespread across Crete, but seems to

lacking around the Mesara Plain area.

Flowering time:- Late Mar to early June.

Photos by:- Kind permission of Saxifraga - Free Nature Images