Lotus corniculatus
L. Bird's-foot TrefoilProcumbent or weakly erect perennial herb; stems to 90 cm long, glabrous or sparsely appressed-hairy. Leaflets dimorphic, virtually glabrous; basal 2 ovate to triangular, 2.5–12 mm long, 2–5 mm wide, apices acute; terminal 3 linear to obovate, 3–15 mm long, 0.5–6 mm wide, apices acute or obtuse. Inflorescences 1–6-flowered; peduncle 1.5–10 cm long; calyx campanulate, 4.5–8 mm long, glabrous to sparsely hairy, teeth erect in bud, about equal, shorter than or as long as tube; corolla 7–16 mm long, yellow with red veins, drying green; standard ovate, obovate or suborbicular, longer than keel; keel obtusely curved on lower edge, beak straight, shiny. Pod terete, 1–4 cm long, 1–3 mm wide, more or less straight, glabrous; seeds 5–20, globose, 1.5–2 mm long, dark brown.
MuM, GleP, VVP, VRiv, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, MonT, HFE, VAlp.
2 varieties occur in Australia.
Jeanes, J.A. (1996). Fabaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae, pp. 663–829. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning
