Common Bird's-foot-trefoil
Common Bird's-foot-trefoil hummock
Flowerhead
Close-up of flowers
Calex with straight sepal arrangement
Leaves with 5 leaflets
Birdsfoot pods
Orange (bacon) form
Red form
Lotus corniculatus
Fabaceae
Bird's-foot-trefoil, Eggs and Bacon, Tom Thumb.
April to September
It is found throughout the country.
See the BSBI distribution map for Common Bird's-foot-trefoil
It is widespread on well drained grassland, marine cliffs, dunes
and shingle, and on rocky ledges and cracks in concrete.
Common Bird's-foot-trefoil is a native, nitrogen-fixing, perennial
herb.
It grows as a prostrate mat or hummock on rocky surfaces, but
is taller when growing in grass.
The flowers (10-16mm ) are in a flowerhead of up to 7.
They are mainly yellow, but are interspersed with orange and
reddish forms.
The sepals are straight, alongside the base of the petals.
The 5 leaflets look like a trefoil because the basal pair appear
separate and attached to the stem.
The pods are up to 30mm long and shaped like a bird's claw.
Seed mixtures tend to include non-native strains.
Previous page: Columbine
Next page: Common Cornsalad
Common Bird's-foot-trefoil hummock
Flowerhead
Close-up of flowers
Calex with straight sepal arrangement
Leaves with 5 leaflets
Birdsfoot pods
Orange (bacon) form
Red form
© Copyright 2004-2022 - CMS Made Simple
This site is powered by CMS Made Simple version 1.11.9