Lotus corniculatus

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Lotus corniculatus

Scientific 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* L.
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. Common names include common bird's-foot trefoil,^[2] eggs and bacon,^[3] birdsfoot deervetch,^[4] and just bird's-foot trefoil^[5] (a name also often applied to other Lotus spp.). It has a wide distribution and is a favored forage for livestock.

Description

It is a perennial herbaceous plant. The height of the plant is variable, from 5 to 20 centimetres (2 to 8 inches), occasionally more where supported by other plants; the stems can reach up to 50 cm (20 in) long.

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'.

The flowers bloom from June to September and develop into small pea-like pods or legumes.

The plant had many common English names in Britain, which are now mostly out of use. These names were often connected with the yellow and orange colour of the flowers, e.g. 'butter and eggs'. One name that is still used is eggs and bacon (or bacon and eggs).^[6]

It is similar in appearance to some clovers.

Subtaxa

The following subspecies are accepted:^[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.

Distribution and habitat

Lotus corniculatus has a broad distribution worldwide.^[5]^[1] It is native to temperate Eurasia and North Africa.^{[citation needed]} It is common everywhere in Britain^[7] and Ireland.^[8]^[9]

Habitats include old fields, grassy places,^[10] and roadsides.^[9] It is typically sprawling at the height of the surrounding grassland. It can survive fairly close grazing, trampling, and mowing. It is most often found in sandy soils.

Ecology

The flowers are mostly visited by bumblebees.^[11] In the Chicago Region, mostly non-native bees have been observed visiting the flowers, including Andrena wilkella, Anthidium oblongatum, Apis mellifera and Megachile rotundata.^[12] The native bees Bombus impatiens and Megachile relativa have also been observed visiting birdsfoot trefoil flowers, though the latter only rarely.^[12]

The plant is an important nectar source for many insects and is also used as a larval food plant by many species of Lepidoptera such as six-spot burnet and the silver-studded blue.^[13] It is a host plant for the wood white butterfly, Leptidea sinapis.^[14]

As an invasive species

Birdsfoot trefoil is an invasive species in many parts of North America and Australia. It has been commonly planted along roadsides for erosion control or pastures for forage and then spreads into natural areas.^[4]^[12] Once it has established in an area, it can outcompete native species.^[12] The use of prescribed fire is not an effective management tool against L. corniculatus and herbicide is recommended instead to control it.^[12]

Potential health concerns

The species contains cyanogenic glycosides,^[15] which release small amounts of hydrogen cyanide when macerated. This is not normally poisonous to humans, though, as the dose is very low, and the metabolization of cyanide is relatively quick.^[16] Condensed tannins are also present.^[17]

Uses

It is used in agriculture as a forage plant, grown for pasture, hay, and silage. It is a high quality forage that does not cause bloat in ruminants.^[18] Taller-growing cultivars have been developed for this.^{[citation needed]} It may be used as an alternative to alfalfa in poor soils.

A double-flowered variety is grown as an ornamental plant. It is regularly included as a component of wildflower mixes in Europe. It can also prevent soil erosion and provide a good habitat for wildlife.^[18]

In the traditional medicine of the Sannio regio of Italy, the diluted infusions were used for anxiety, insomnia, and exhaustion.^[19]

Gallery

Flowerheads and 5-leaflet leaves
Young seedhead
Along high-altitude roadside

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Lotus corniculatus L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
^ "Bird's-foot trefoil". Plantlife. Archived from the original on 2022-04-13. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
^ ^a ^b "Plant Fact Sheet, Birdsfoot Trefoil" (PDF). plants.usda.gov. United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
^ ^a ^b NRCS. "Lotus corniculatus". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 23 June 2015.
^ Collins English Dictionary
^ Martin, K. The Concise British Flora in Colour.
^ Parnell, J. and Curtis, T. 2012. Webb's An Irish Flora. Cork University Press ISBN 978-185918-4783
^ ^a ^b Hackney, P. (Ed) 1992. Stewart & Corry's Flora of the North-east of Ireland, Third Edition. Institute of Irish Studies,The Queen's University of Belfast. ISBN 0-85389-446-9
^ Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G. and Warburg, E.F. 1968. Excursion Flora of the British Isles, Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-04656-4
^ Van Der Kooi, C. J.; Pen, I.; Staal, M.; Stavenga, D. G.; Elzenga, J. T. M. (2015). "Competition for pollinators and intra-communal spectral dissimilarity of flowers" (PDF). Plant Biology. 18 (1): 56–62. doi:10.1111/plb.12328. PMID 25754608.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Wilhelm, Gerould; Rericha, Laura (2017). Flora of the Chicago Region: A Floristic and Ecological Synthesis. Indiana Academy of Sciences.
^ Thomas, C. D.; Glen, S. W. T.; Lewis, O. T.; Hill, J. K.; Blakeley, D. S. (1999-02-01). "Population differentiation and conservation of endemic races: the butterfly, Plebejus argus". Animal Conservation. 2 (1): 15–21. Bibcode:1999AnCon...2...15T. doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.1999.tb00044.x. ISSN 1469-1795. S2CID 44647405.
^ Clarke, S. A.; Green, D. G.; Joy, J.; Wollen, K.; Butler, I. (2011-04-01). "Leptidea sinapis (Wood White butterfly) egg-laying habitat and adult dispersal studies in Herefordshire". Journal of Insect Conservation. 15 (1-2): 23–35. doi:10.1007/s10841-010-9300-8. ISSN 1366-638X.
^ "Lotus corniculatus Bird's Foot Trefoil PFAF Plant Database". Pfaf.org.
^ Scriber, J. Mark (1 January 1978). "Cyanogenic Glycosides in Lotus corniculatus. Their Effect upon Growth, Energy Budget, and Nitrogen Utilization of the Southern Armyworm, Spodoptera eridania". Oecologia. 34 (2): 143–155. doi:10.1007/BF00345163. JSTOR 4215630. PMID 28309546. S2CID 189827997.
^ "The effect of condensed tannins in Lotus corniculatus upon reproductive efficiency and wool production in sheep during late summer and autumn" (PDF). Proceedings of the New Zealand Grassland Association. 61: 51–55. 1999. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
^ ^a ^b Heuzé V.; Tran G.; Nozière P.; Lebas F. (2016). "Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)". Feedipedia.org. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
^ Guarino, Carmine (2008-08-30). "Ethnobotanical Study of the Sannio Area, Campania, Southern Italy" (PDF). Ethnobotany Research and Applications. 6: 255. doi:10.17348/era.6.0.255-317. ISSN 1547-3465.