- Lotus corniculatus (Wikipedia)
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, eggs and bacon, birdsfoot deervetch, and just bird’s-foot trefoil, though the latter name is often also applied to other members of the genus.
- Lotus corniculatus L. (plants.sc.egov.usda.gov)
Birdsfoot trefoil is a moderately long-lived herbaceous perennial legume. It has a well developed, branching, tap-like root with side roots near the soil surface. Most cultivars are erect and grow to a height of 2 to 3 feet. The stems are slender, branch well, and are moderately leafy. Leaves are smooth and consist of 5 leaflets. The bloom is made up of a cluster of bright yellow flowers arranged in a whorl at the end of the flowering stems. When ripe, the brown seed pods extend outward from the stalk and look like a bird’s foot. The plant remains green and succulent during and after seed ripening. There are an average of 375,000 seeds per pound.
Lotus corniculatus on Aurora- 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’.