LOTUS HALOPHILUS

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

Common Name:- Petty birdsfoot-trefoil

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

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

Halophilus (Gr) Salt-loving.

General description:- Slender, procumbent annual.

Stem:-

1) 5-20 cm. rather densely clothed with short, subappressed, ± crispate hairs.

Leaves:-

1) Rather densely clothed with short, subappressed, ± crispate hairs.

2) Leaflets, small (3-7 mm).

3) Lower, obliquely ovate.

4) Upper, elliptical, rhachis short.

Flowers:-

1) 1-2(-4) on peduncles 6-15 mm.

2) Calyx, slightly bilabiate,

a) tube, narrowly campanulate.

b) teeth, shorter than or equalling the tube, lateral somewhat shorter than the

others.

3) Corolla, 6-8 mm, only slightly exceeding the calyx, yellow.

Fruit:-

1) Legume, 15-30 x 1.2-1.5 mm, linear-cylindrical, slightly cylindrical torulose,

straight or somewhat curved towards apex. dehiscent at maturity.

Key features:-

1) Legume, 15-30 x 1.2-1.5 mm, linear-cylindrical, dehiscent at maturity.

2) Calyx, slightly bilabiate, teeth unequal, the lateral usually shorter than the rest.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Sandy and saline coastal habitats, occasionally in dry open shrubby

vegetation, field margins and along roads and tracks up to 150 m. Fl. Late Mar to

early June.

Distribution:- Scattered across the Aegean coastal regions, S. Italy, Balkans,

Anatolia to Iran. On Crete scattered mainly around the west and east coastal

regions.

Flowering time:- Late Mar to early June.

Photos by:- Dr. Armin Jagel