Pea Family [Fabaceae] |
status
flower
flower
inner
morph
petals
stem
Aug 2011, College Lake, BBONT Nature Reserve, Tring, Herts. | Photo: © Sue Parsons |
A prostrate to sprawling plant, reaching a height of 30cm. |
Aug 2011, College Lake, BBONT Nature Reserve, Tring, Herts. | Photo: © Sue Parsons |
Flowers pale yellow un-like those of Bird's-Foot-Trefoil which are deeper yellow or even orange. |
Aug 2011, College Lake, BBONT Nature Reserve, Tring, Herts. | Photo: © Sue Parsons |
Leaves in three's, clover-like but longer and terminating more suddenly into a point at the far end. |
Aug 2011, College Lake, BBONT Nature Reserve, Tring, Herts. | Photo: © Sue Parsons |
Typical pea-family flowers dominated by a large upper banner with fine orange lines on it. |
2nd July 2013, Noar Gill, Hampshire. | Photo: © Dawn Nelson |
Flowers solitary at the end of a flowering stalk with three bracts immediately below the sepal tube. Stems thin and hairy. |
Aug 2011, College Lake, BBONT Nature Reserve, Tring, Herts. | Photo: © Sue Parsons |
The two smaller wings are hiding the keel within it. |
Aug 2011, College Lake, BBONT Nature Reserve, Tring, Herts. | Photo: © Sue Parsons |
Two cupped wings not fully opened. |
Aug 2011, College Lake, BBONT Nature Reserve, Tring, Herts. | Photo: © Sue Parsons |
Cupped wings still hiding the smaller keel within. |
2nd July 2013, Noar Gill, Hampshire. | Photo: © Dawn Nelson |
Leaves hairy on the underside. |
2nd July 2013, Noar Gill, Hampshire. | Photo: © Dawn Nelson |
Sepal cup is long and sometimes streaked red, as here. |
Aug 2011, College Lake, BBONT Nature Reserve, Tring, Herts. | Photo: © Sue Parsons |
Leaves hairy at the back and around the periphery. Note long green seed pod at the top. |
Aug 2011, College Lake, BBONT Nature Reserve, Tring, Herts. | Photo: © Sue Parsons |
Stalks hairy too. An interloper stalks at top right. |
Some similarities to : Bird's-foot-Trefoils (Lotus species) but flowers are solitary and pale yellow, reflecting its synonym Lotus tetragonolobus. Uniquely identifiable characteristics Distinguishing Feature :
No relation to : Dragon Arum (Dracunculus vulgaris) nor to Somewhat contrary to its scientific names reference to the sea (maritimus) it seems not to prefer locations near the sea, but well inland, and mostly in the south of England, but is well scattered even here. There is none north of Manchester (and none in Manchester).
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Tetragonolobus | maritimus | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Fabaceae |
Tetragonolobus (Dragon's-Teeth) |
Pea Family [Fabaceae] |