Lotus corniculatus

"Birdsfoot trefoil" redirects here. For other plants known by this name, see Lotus (genus).

Lotus corniculatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Lotus
Species:
L. corniculatus
Binomial name
Lotus corniculatus
Subspecies[1]
  • Lotus corniculatus subsp. afghanicus Chrtková
  • Lotus corniculatus subsp. corniculatus
  • Lotus corniculatus subsp. delortii (Timb.-Lagr.) Nyman
  • Lotus corniculatus subsp. fruticosus Chrtková
  • Lotus corniculatus subsp. preslii (Ten.) P.Fourn.
Synonyms[1]
List
    • Lotus alpicola (Beck) Miniaev, Ulle & Kritzk.
    • Lotus ambiguus Besser ex Spreng.
    • Lotus angustifolius Gueldenst.
    • Lotus arvensis Pers.
    • Lotus balticus Miniaev
    • Lotus barcinonensis Sennen
    • Lotus bracteatus Wall.
    • Lotus callunetorum (Üksip) Miniaev
    • Lotus catalaunicus Sennen
    • Lotus caucasicus Kuprian.
    • Lotus colocensis Menyh.
    • Lotus corniculatus var. alandicus Chrtková
    • Lotus corniculatus subsp. ambiguus (Besser ex Spreng.) Tzvelev
    • Lotus corniculatus var. arvensis (Pers.) Ser.
    • Lotus corniculatus subsp. callunetorum (Üksip) Tzvelev
    • Lotus corniculatus f. carnosus (Pers.) Ostenf.
    • Lotus corniculatus var. crassifolius Pers.
    • Lotus corniculatus var. fallax Chrtková
    • Lotus corniculatus var. futakii Starm.
    • Lotus corniculatus subsp. komarovii (Miniaev) Tzvelev
    • Lotus corniculatus var. norvegicus Chrtková
    • Lotus corniculatus var. posoniensis Chrtková
    • Lotus corniculatus subsp. ruprechtii (Miniaev) Tzvelev
    • Lotus corniculatus var. sativus Hyl.
    • Lotus corniculatus var. sennenii Afr.Fern.
    • Lotus corniculatus var. sibthorpii (Rouy) Asch. & Graebn.
    • Lotus corniculatus var. slovacus (Chrtková) Starm.
    • Lotus delortii Timb.-Lagr.
    • Lotus delortii var. rivasii Afr.Fern.
    • Lotus depressus Willd.
    • Lotus dvinensis Miniaev & Ulle
    • Lotus forsteri Sweet
    • Lotus gibbus Beeke
    • Lotus haeupleri G.H.Loos
    • Lotus humifusus Willd.
    • Lotus juzepczukii Seregin
    • Lotus komarovii Miniaev
    • Lotus norvegicus (Chrtková) Miniaev
    • Lotus olgae Klokov
    • Lotus orphanidis Ujhelyi
    • Lotus pentaphyllos Gilib.
    • Lotus pilosissimus Schur
    • Lotus pilosus Jord.
    • Lotus preslii Ten.
    • Lotus riparius Pers.
    • Lotus rostellatus Heldr.
    • Lotus ruprechtii Miniaev
    • Lotus sativus (Hyl.) Büscher & G.H.Loos
    • Lotus stenodon (Boiss. & Heldr.) Heldr.
    • Lotus suberectus G.H.Loos
    • Lotus symmetricus Jord.
    • Lotus tauricus Juz.
    • Lotus tauricus Steud.
    • Lotus tchihatchewii Boiss.
    • Lotus tenuifolius C.Presl
    • Lotus uliginosus Hoffm.
    • Lotus zhegulensis Klokov
    • Mullaghera communis Bubani

Lotus corniculatus is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae, native to grasslands in temperate Eurasia and North Africa. Common names include common bird's-foot trefoil,[2] eggs and bacon,[3] birdsfoot deervetch,[4] and just bird's-foot trefoil,[5] though the latter name is often also applied to other members of the genus.

It is a perennial herbaceous plant, similar in appearance to some clovers. The name 'bird's foot' refers to the appearance of the seed pods on their stalk. Five leaflets are present, but with the central three held conspicuously above the others, hence the use of the name 'trefoil'. It is often used as forage and is widely used as food for livestock due to its nonbloating properties.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference POWO was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  3. ^ "Bird's-foot trefoil". Plantlife. Archived from the original on 2022-04-13. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
  4. ^ "Plant Fact Sheet, Birdsfoot Trefoil" (PDF). plants.usda.gov. United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  5. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "​Lotus corniculatus​". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 23 June 2015.