Plant Image
Leaves


Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants

Lotus salsuginosus - coastal bird's-foot trefoil

Synonyms: Acmispon maritimus
Other Common Names: humble trefoil, maresfat
Plant Form: Forb or Subshrub

Family: Fabaceae


   
 
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Plant
Desert Botanical Garden Herbarium, Usage Rights: CC BY-NC (Attribution-Non-Commercial)
Flower
Zachery Berry @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: CC BY-NC (Attribution-Non-Commercial)
Forb Plant Description

Origin: Native   Life Cycle: Annual
General Desc: Stems clustered, trail along the ground or ascend; often fleshy, very small to robust plants, without hairs or with straight, stiff, sharp, appressed hairs; leaves pinnate, leaflets 3 to 8; flowers yellow, typical pea flower of banner, wings and keel.
Identification notes: Annual, stems trail 4 to 12 inches; herbage with fine, stiff straight pressed hairs; leaves pinnate, leaflets 3 to 8; stipules generally not apparent; flowers yellow, stalked, solitary or in small clusters, wings about as long as the keel.
Height: 4 to 12 inches


Habitat

Habitat Description: Desert scrub, dry hills and mesas.
Plant Communities: Desert Scrub,
Elevation: Below 3000 feet


Flower Characteristics

Color: Yellow     Shape: Irregular in round clusters     Tubular: Y     Flowering Period: Feb - May
Description: 1 to 5 flowered rounded clusters; flowers about 1/2 inch wide, have banner, wings and keel; wings narrow at their base; sepals shorter than the flower tube; stamens 10, 9 stamen filaments fused, 1 free.


Leaf and Stem Characteristics

Leaf Color: Green     Leaf Type: Compound     Leaf Shape: Round or oval     Leaf Margin: Smooth     Leaf Attachment: Alternate     Leaves Clasp: N
Hairs: Leaves and stems     Spines: N
Leaf Description: Leaves are irregularly pinnate (have terminal leaflets); stipules generally not apparent; leaflets 3 to 8, 1/4 inch wide or less, rounded; terminal leaflet is the largest. Stems and leaves may or may not be hairy.


Fruit and Seed Characteristics

Fruit Type: Pod
Fruit Notes: Pods split apart when mature, generally 1/2 to 1 inch long, narrowly oblong, often curved; shaved narrow points, bent like a hook.
Seed Notes: Seeds few to many, often kidney-shaped, generally hard, smooth.



  Arizona Cooperative Extension
Yavapai County
840 Rodeo Dr #C
Prescott, AZ 86305
(928) 445-6590
Version 8.0  
http://cales.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/SpeciesDetailForb.php  
Last Updated: Dec 13, 2022
Content Questions/Comments: Email Matt Halldorson  
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