Lotus (genus)
Encyclopedia
Lotus is a genus
that includes bird's-foot trefoils and deervetches and contains many dozens of species
distributed world-wide. Depending on the taxonomic authority, roughly between 70 and 150 are accepted. Lotus is a genus of legume and its members are adapted to a wide range of habitats, from coastal environments to high altitudes. Most species have leaves
with five leaflet
s; two of these are at the extreme base of the leaf, with the other three at the tip of a naked midrib. This gives the appearance of a pair of large stipule
s below a "petiole
" bearing a trefoil of three leaflets – in fact the true stipules are minute, soon falling or withering. Some species have pinnate leaves with up to 15 leaflets. The flower
s are in clusters of 3-10 together at the apex of a stem with some basal leafy bract
s; they are pea
-flower shaped, usually vivid yellow, but occasionally orange or red. The seeds develop in three or four straight, strongly diverging pods, which together make a shape reminiscent of the diverging toes of a small bird, leading to the common name "bird's-foot".
The genus Lotus is currently undergoing extensive taxonomic revision. All species native to California
(30 spp.) have been recently moved to the genera Acmispon
and Hosakia in the Second Edition of The Jepson Manual
.
e of some Lepidoptera
species. See list of Lepidoptera that feed on Lotus. Several species are culvivated for forage
, including L. corniculatus
, L. glaber
and L. pedunculatus. They can produce toxic cyanogenic glycoside
s which can be potentially toxic to livestock
, but also produce tannin
s, which are a beneficial anti-bloat
ing compound.
This genus can fix nitrogen
from the air courtesy of their root nodule
s, making it useful as a cover crop
. The nodulating symbionts are Bradyrhizobium
bacteria. Scientific research for crop improvement and understanding the general biology of the genus is focused on Lotus japonicus
which is currently the subject of a full genome sequencing project, and is considered a model organism
.
Some species, such as L. berthelotii
from the Canary Islands
, are grown as ornamental plants. L. corniculatus
is an invasive species
in some regions of North America
and Australia
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
that includes bird's-foot trefoils and deervetches and contains many dozens of species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
distributed world-wide. Depending on the taxonomic authority, roughly between 70 and 150 are accepted. Lotus is a genus of legume and its members are adapted to a wide range of habitats, from coastal environments to high altitudes. Most species have leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
with five leaflet
Leaflet
A leaflet in botany is a part of a compound leaf. A leaflet may resemble an entire leaf, but it is not borne on a stem as a leaf is, but rather on a vein of the whole leaf. Compound leaves are common in many plant families...
s; two of these are at the extreme base of the leaf, with the other three at the tip of a naked midrib. This gives the appearance of a pair of large stipule
Stipule
In botany, stipule is a term coined by Linnaeus which refers to outgrowths borne on either side of the base of a leafstalk...
s below a "petiole
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
" bearing a trefoil of three leaflets – in fact the true stipules are minute, soon falling or withering. Some species have pinnate leaves with up to 15 leaflets. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are in clusters of 3-10 together at the apex of a stem with some basal leafy bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
s; they are pea
Pea
A pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the pod fruit Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas. Peapods are botanically a fruit, since they contain seeds developed from the ovary of a flower. However, peas are considered to be a vegetable in cooking...
-flower shaped, usually vivid yellow, but occasionally orange or red. The seeds develop in three or four straight, strongly diverging pods, which together make a shape reminiscent of the diverging toes of a small bird, leading to the common name "bird's-foot".
The genus Lotus is currently undergoing extensive taxonomic revision. All species native to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(30 spp.) have been recently moved to the genera Acmispon
Acmispon
Acmispon is a genus that includes several species of North American bird's-foot trefoils and deervetches formerly contained in the globally distributed genus Lotus-Selected species:*Acmispon americanus*Acmispon argophyllus...
and Hosakia in the Second Edition of The Jepson Manual
The Jepson Manual
The Jepson Manual, Higher Plants of California is a collection of identification keys to help biologists identify the vascular plants within the state of California...
.
Uses and ecology
Lotus species are used as food plants by the larvaLarva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e of some Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
species. See list of Lepidoptera that feed on Lotus. Several species are culvivated for forage
Fodder
Fodder or animal feed is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock such as cattle, goats, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. Most animal feed is from plants but some is of animal origin...
, including L. corniculatus
Lotus corniculatus
Lotus corniculatus is a common flowering plant native to grassland temperate Eurasia and North Africa. The common name is Bird's-foot Trefoil , though the common name is often also applied to other members of the genus...
, L. glaber
Lotus glaber
Lotus glaber is a flowering plant of the pea family Fabaceae, native to western and southern Europe and southwest Asia. Some botanists treat it as a subspecies of Lotus corniculatus, as L. corniculatus subsp. tenuifolius.Its tolerance of salt and poor soil make this plant useful for marginal...
and L. pedunculatus. They can produce toxic cyanogenic glycoside
Cyanide
A cyanide is a chemical compound that contains the cyano group, -C≡N, which consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Cyanides most commonly refer to salts of the anion CN−. Most cyanides are highly toxic....
s which can be potentially toxic to livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
, but also produce tannin
Tannin
A tannin is an astringent, bitter plant polyphenolic compound that binds to and precipitates proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids.The term tannin refers to the use of...
s, which are a beneficial anti-bloat
Bloat
Bloat is a medical condition in which the stomach becomes overstretched by excessive gas content. It is also commonly referred to as torsion, gastric torsion, and gastric dilatation-volvulus when the stomach is also twisted. The word bloat is often used as a general term to cover gas distension...
ing compound.
This genus can fix nitrogen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...
from the air courtesy of their root nodule
Root nodule
Root nodules occur on the roots of plants that associate with symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Under nitrogen-limiting conditions, capable plants form a symbiotic relationship with a host-specific strain of bacteria known as rhizobia...
s, making it useful as a cover crop
Cover crop
Cover crops are crops planted primarily to manage soil fertility, soil quality, water, weeds, pests, diseases, biodiversity and wildlife in agroecosystems , ecological systems managed and largely shaped by humans across a range of intensities to produce food, feed, or fiber.Cover crops are of...
. The nodulating symbionts are Bradyrhizobium
Bradyrhizobium
Bradyrhizobium is a genus of Gram-negative soil bacteria, many of which fix nitrogen. Nitrogen fixation is an important part of the nitrogen cycle. Plants cannot use atmospheric nitrogen they must use nitrogen compounds such as nitrates....
bacteria. Scientific research for crop improvement and understanding the general biology of the genus is focused on Lotus japonicus
Lotus japonicus
Lotus japonicus is a wild legume that belongs to family Fabaceae. Members of this family are very diverse, constituting about 20,000 species. They are of significant agricultural and biological importance as many of the legume species are rich sources of protein and oil and can also fix atmospheric...
which is currently the subject of a full genome sequencing project, and is considered a model organism
Model organism
A model organism is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the organism model will provide insight into the workings of other organisms. Model organisms are in vivo models and are widely used to...
.
Some species, such as L. berthelotii
Lotus berthelotii
Lotus berthelotii is a perennial plant endemic to the Canary Islands, in the genus Lotus. This plant is either extinct in the wild or persists as a few individuals...
from the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, are grown as ornamental plants. L. corniculatus
Lotus corniculatus
Lotus corniculatus is a common flowering plant native to grassland temperate Eurasia and North Africa. The common name is Bird's-foot Trefoil , though the common name is often also applied to other members of the genus...
is an invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
in some regions of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Selected species
- Lotus aboriginusLotus aboriginusLotus aboriginus is a species of legume known by the common name rosy bird's-foot trefoil. It is native to the west coast of the United States from Washington to northern California, where it grows in the coastal mountains and canyons, often in moist areas. It is a perennial herb lined with leaves...
– Rosy Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus aduncus
- Lotus alamosanus – Sonora Bird's-foot Trefoil
- Lotus alpinus
- Lotus angustissimus – Slender Bird's-foot Trefoil
- Lotus argophyllusLotus argophyllusLotus argophyllus is a species of legume known by the common name silver bird's-foot trefoil. It is endemic to California, where it can be found in several of the coastal and inland mountain ranges in chaparral and other habitat types. It is a perennial herb growing prostrate to erect, the base of...
– Silver Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus argyraeusLotus argyraeusLotus argyraeus is a species of legume known by the common name canyon bird's-foot trefoil. It is native southern California, Nevada, and Baja California, where it is known from dry mountain habitat. It is a perennial herb lined with leaves each made up of a few oval leaflike leaflets about a...
– Canyon Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus australisLotus australisLotus australis, known by its common name of Austral Trefoil, is a small, spreading herb from the family of Leguminosae. It normally grows to around 30-50 in height and is native to Australia....
– Austral Trefoil - Lotus benthamiiLotus benthamiiLotus benthamii is a species of legume known by the common name Bentham's broom. It is endemic to central California, where it occurs along the Central Coast and into the coastal mountain ranges. It grows in oceanside habitat and inland on slopes and in canyons...
– Bentham's Deervetch
- Lotus berthelotiiLotus berthelotiiLotus berthelotii is a perennial plant endemic to the Canary Islands, in the genus Lotus. This plant is either extinct in the wild or persists as a few individuals...
– Canary Islands Trefoil - Lotus cedrosensis
- Lotus corniculatusLotus corniculatusLotus corniculatus is a common flowering plant native to grassland temperate Eurasia and North Africa. The common name is Bird's-foot Trefoil , though the common name is often also applied to other members of the genus...
– Common Bird's-foot Trefoil, Bird's-foot Deervetch - Lotus crassifoliusLotus crassifoliusLotus crassifolius is a species of trefoil, a legume, known by the common names big deervetch and broad-leafed lotus. It is a long-lived, somewhat bushy plant which bears long straight stems with evenly spaced oval-shaped leaves. It produces thick bunches of yellow or pink-and-yellow pea flowers...
– Big Deervetch, Broad-leaved Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus creticus
- Lotus dendroideusLotus dendroideusLotus dendroideus is a species of legume known by the common name island broom. It is endemic to the Channel Islands of California, where it grows on coastal bluffs and cliffs. It is a spreading perennial herb or erect shrub approaching 2 meters in height. It is hairless to hairy and gray-green in...
– Island Deervetch - Lotus denticulatusLotus denticulatusLotus denticulatus is a species of legume known by the common name riverbar bird's-foot trefoil. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California to Utah, where it grows in moist spots in a number of habitat types. It is an annual herb growing erect or spreading to about 40...
– Riverbar Bird's-foot Trefoil, Meadow Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus formosissimusLotus formosissimusLotus formosissimus is a species of legume known by the common name seaside bird's-foot trefoil. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California, where it grows in moist spots in the coastal mountains and down to the oceanside bluffs. It is a perennial herb growing upright...
– Seaside Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus glaberLotus glaberLotus glaber is a flowering plant of the pea family Fabaceae, native to western and southern Europe and southwest Asia. Some botanists treat it as a subspecies of Lotus corniculatus, as L. corniculatus subsp. tenuifolius.Its tolerance of salt and poor soil make this plant useful for marginal...
– Narrow-leaved Bird's-foot Trefoil, Slender Trefoil, Creeping Trefoil, Prostrate Trefoil; formerly L. tenuis - Lotus grandiflorusLotus grandiflorusLotus grandiflorus is a species of legume known by the common name chaparral bird's-foot trefoil. It is native to California and Baja California, where it is found in many mountainous areas in the chaparral and coniferous forests. It is a perennial herb taking an erect to decumbent form...
– Chaparral Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus greenei – Greene's Bird's-foot Trefoil
- Lotus hamatusLotus hamatusLotus hamatus is a species of legume known by the common name San Diego bird's-foot trefoil. It is native to the coastal mountain ranges of California and Baja California, where it grows in various types of scrub and canyon habitat. It is an annual herb taking a spreading or upright form. It is...
– San Diego Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus haydoniiLotus haydoniiLotus haydonii is a species of legume known by the common names rock bird's-foot trefoil, Haydon's lotus, and pygmy lotus. It is native to the dry mountain slopes and deserts of Baja California and into southern California, mainly the deserts of eastern San Diego County, where it grows in scrub and...
– Rock Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus heermanniiLotus heermanniiLotus heermannii is a species of legume known by the common name Heermann's bird's-foot trefoil. It is native to the coastal plains, canyons, and mountains of California and Baja California, where it is known from several types of oceanside and inland habitat. It is a mat-forming perennial herb...
– Heermann's Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus humistratusLotus humistratusLotus humistratus is a species of legume known by the common name foothill deervetch. It is native to western North America from Idaho to Texas to northern Mexico, where it is known from many types of habitat. It is an annual herb spreading upright or taking a clumpy or matted form...
– Foothill Deervetch - Lotus incanusLotus incanusLotus incanus is a species of legume known by the common name woolly bird's-foot trefoil. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada of California, where it grows in forests and other mountain habitat.-Description:...
– Woolly Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus intricatus – Arid Bird's-foot Trefoil
- Lotus jacobaeus
- Lotus japonicusLotus japonicusLotus japonicus is a wild legume that belongs to family Fabaceae. Members of this family are very diverse, constituting about 20,000 species. They are of significant agricultural and biological importance as many of the legume species are rich sources of protein and oil and can also fix atmospheric...
- Lotus junceusLotus junceusLotus junceus is a species of legume known by the common name rush deervetch. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the northern and central coast and the coastal mountain ranges. It can be found from beaches inland to serpentine slopes and chaparral. It is a hairy, prostrate or...
– Rush Deervetch - Lotus maculatus
- Lotus maritimusLotus maritimusLotus maritimus, syn. Tetragonolobus maritimus is a plant species in the genus Lotus....
- Lotus mearnsiiLotus mearnsiiLotus mearnsii is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common name Mearns' bird's-foot trefoil. It is endemic to Arizona in the United States, where it occurs in Coconino, Navajo, and Yavapai Counties....
– Mearns' Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus micranthusLotus micranthusLotus micranthus is a species of legume known by the common name desert deervetch. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to southern California, where it is known from many types of habitat. It is a hairy to hairless annual herb lined with leaves each made up of small oval...
– Desert Deervetch - Lotus mollisLotus mollisLotus mollis is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found only in Yemen.Its natural habitat is rocky areas.-Source:* Miller, A. 2004. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
- Lotus nevadensisLotus nevadensisLotus nevadensis is a species of legume known by the common name Nevada bird's-foot trefoil. It is native to western North America from the Pacific Northwest to Baja California, where it grows in several types of habitat, including mountain forest and meadows. It is a spreading or mat-forming...
– Nevada Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus nuttallianusLotus nuttallianusLotus nuttallianus is a species of legume known by the common names Beach Lotus, Nuttall's Lotus, and Wire Bird's-foot Trefoil...
– Wire Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus oblongifoliusLotus oblongifoliusLotus oblongifolius is a species of legume known by the common name streambank bird's-foot trefoil. It is native to western North America from Oregon to northern Mexico, where it grows in moist to wet areas in several types of habitat. It is a spreading or upright perennial herb lined with leaves...
– Streambank Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus ononopsisLotus ononopsisLotus ononopsis is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found only in Yemen.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.-References:...
- Lotus ornithopoides
- Lotus palustris
- Lotus parviflorus – Smallflower Bird's-foot Trefoil, Smallflower Trefoil
- Lotus pinnatusLotus pinnatusLotus pinnatus is a species of legume known by the common names meadow bird's-foot trefoil and bog bird's-foot trefoil. It is native to western North America from California into the Pacific Northwest, its distribution extending into British Columbia in just a few rare occurrences near Nanaimo. It...
– Meadow Bird's-foot Trefoil, Bog Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus plebeius – New Mexico Bird's-foot Trefoil
- Lotus procumbensLotus procumbensLotus procumbens is a species of legume known by the common name silky deerweed. It is endemic to California, where it is known from many habitat types in several regions from the Central Valley to the Mojave Desert to the Peninsular Ranges. It is a tough, hairy perennial herb spreading as a clumpy...
– Silky Deerweed - Lotus purshianus – Spanish Clover
- Lotus rigidus – Desert Rock Pea, Shrubby Deervetch
- Lotus rubriflorusLotus rubriflorusLotus rubriflorus is a rare species of legume known by the common name red-flowered bird's-foot trefoil. It is endemic to California, where it is known from only four occurrences with a disjunct distribution...
– Redflower Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus salsuginosusLotus salsuginosusLotus salsuginosus is a species of legume known by the common name coastal bird's-foot trefoil. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in many types of mountain, desert, and scrub habitat, not necessarily near the coast...
– Coastal Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus scopariusLotus scopariusLotus scoparius is a perennial subshrub in the family Fabaceae . The plant is a pioneer species found in dry areas of California, Arizona, and Mexico...
– Common Deerweed, Common Deervetch, California Broom, Western Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus sessilifolius
- Lotus stipularisLotus stipularisLotus stipularis is a species of legume known by the common name balsam bird's-foot trefoil. It is endemic to California, where it is known from most of the northern and central coastal and inland mountain ranges and foothills. It can be found in many types of habitat, including forest, chaparral,...
– Balsam Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus strigosusLotus strigosusLotus strigosus is a species of legume known by the common name strigose bird's-foot trefoil. It is native to the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico, where it is known from many types of habitat, including disturbed areas. This is a prostrate annual herb...
– Strigose Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus subbiflorusLotus subbiflorusLotus subbiflorus, Hairy Bird's-foot Trefoil, is a flowering plant of the pea family Fabaceae.It is a finely hairy annual plant, growing in dry, sandy ground, often near the sea, and producing sprawling stems with clusters of two to four lemon-yellow pea-type flowers, often with some borne...
– Hairy Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus tetragonolobusLotus tetragonolobusLotus tetragonolobus is an annual herb native to the warm temperate regions of the Old World. It is low growing, and produces a profusion of prominent deep red flowers, followed by seed pods that are longitudinally winged....
– Winged Bird's-foot Trefoil - Lotus unifoliolatus – American Bird's-foot Trefoil
- Lotus pedunculatus – Greater Bird's-foot Trefoil, Marsh Bird's-foot Trefoil, Large Bird's-foot Trefoil, Big Trefoil; formerly L. uliginosus.
- Lotus utahensis – Utah Bird's-foot Trefoil
- Lotus wrangelianus – Chilean Bird's-foot Trefoil
- Lotus wrightii – Wright's Deervetch
- Lotus yollabolliensis – Yolla Bolly Bird's-foot Trefoil