TRIGONELLA SPINOSA

Family and Genus:- See- LEGUMINOSAE/Subgen. TRIGONELLA

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Buceras spinosa, Telis spinosa/

Meaning:- Trigonella (L) Triangle, the perianth seen from the front.

Spinosa (L) Spiny, with spines.

General description:- Sparsely pubescent annual.

Stems:-

1) 5-20 cm tall. generally branched from the base, angular, procumbent or

ascending, sparsely hairy.

Leaves:-

1) Leaves, short-petiolate.

2) Leaflets, 5-8(-12) x 4-5(-8) mm, obovate, denticulate or subentire, glabrous

above, sparsely hairy beneath.

2) Stipules, dentate to lacerate.

Flowers:-

1) Racemes, subumbellate, (1-)4- to 6-flowered, sessile or subsessile.

2) Calyx, c. 2·5 mm,.campanulate.

a) teeth, shorter than the tube.

3) Corolla, c. 4 mm, yellow.

Fruit:-

1) Legume, linear, 30-50 mm long and c. 2 mm wide. slightly compressed,

smoothly curved sometimes in a full circle, without a beak, glabrous, with

prominent, curved and slightly anastomosing transverse veins.

3) Seeds, numerous, c. 2.5 x 1 mm.

Key features:-

1) Stems, sparsely hairy.

2) Calyx-teeth, shorter than the tube.

3 Legume, pendent.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Rocky coastal flats with dry open shrubby vegetation or in various

disturbed habitats such as fields, gardens and olive groves, 0-800 m.

Distribution:- Recorded from the Ionian island of Zakinthos. - Scattered and

apparently rare in W & S Anatolia, extending to Cyprus, W Syria and Palestine.

On Crete currently known from only a few location.

Flowering time:- In April

Photo by:- A. N. Other