Lotus angustissimus
L. Slender Bird's-foot TrefoilErect or ascending annual (rarely perennial) herb; stems to 50 cm long, with dense long spreading hairs; lower stems glabrescent. Leaflets somewhat dimorphic, pilose; basal 2 ovate, 3–12 mm long, 2–5 mm wide, apices acute; terminal 3 obovate to oblanceolate, 3–16 mm long, 2–5 mm wide, apices acute. Inflorescences mostly 1–4-flowered; peduncle 0.5–5 cm long; calyx campanulate, 3.5–6 mm long, pilose; teeth erect in bud, about equal, longer than tube; corolla 4–8 mm long, yellow; standard obovate, equal to or shorter than keel; keel with sharp right-angle bend on lower edge near middle, beak straight. Pod terete, 1–3 cm long, 1–1.5 mm wide, sometimes slightly curved, virtually glabrous; seeds 7–23, globose, c. 1 mm long, brown. Flowers Nov.–Jan.
Wim, GleP, VVP, VRiv, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, VAlp. Also naturalised WA, SA, NSW, Tas. Native to Eurasia, the Middle East, northern Africa. First noted in Victoria c. 1945, now widely established, mainly in higher rainfall areas on damp sandy soils.
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
