Pea Family - Trifoliate leaves

Pitch Trefoil Grey Bird's-foot-trefoil Small Restharrow Large-fruited Bird's-foot-trefoil



Pea Family - Fabaceae

Identification

These are all members of the pea family with trifoliate leaves. This page includes the bird's-foot-trefoils and some of the restharrows as well as a few other species. Other members of the family with trifoliate leaves, including the trefoils, melilots and medicks can all be found on a separate page by clicking here.



Pitch Trefoil      Bituminaria bituminosa

Native from the Canary Islands eastward to the Middle East. Common in rough places in seminatural habitats such as field edges and roadsides.

Pitch Trefoil Pitch Trefoil Pitch Trefoil Pitch Trefoil
Habit
Habit
Flowers
Flowers
Pitch Trefoil Pitch Trefoil
Leaf
Leaf


Canary Clover      Lotus hirsutus

Native to the Mediterranean Region.

Canary Clover Canary Clover Canary Clover Canary Clover
Habit
Habit
Flowers
Flowers
Canary Clover Canary Clover Canary Clover Canary Clover
Flower
Calyxes
Leaves
Leaf


Pink Bird's-foot-trefoil      Lotus conimbricensis

Native on Madeira and throughout the Mediterranean Region.

Pink Bird's-foot-trefoil Pink Bird's-foot-trefoil Pink Bird's-foot-trefoil Pink Bird's-foot-trefoil
Habit
Habit
Flower
Flower
Pink Bird's-foot-trefoil Pink Bird's-foot-trefoil Pink Bird's-foot-trefoil Pink Bird's-foot-trefoil
Flower
Leaves
Leaf
Seed pod


Narrow-leaved Bird's-foot-trefoil      Lotus tenuis

Native throughout Europe to Central Asia and North Africa. A low-growing, patch-forming species. Flowers usually clear yellow, the upper two calyx teeth usually converging on each other. The leaves have three, very narrow leaflets and two, narrow, leaflet-like stipules.

Narrow-leaved Bird's-foot-trefoil Narrow-leaved Bird's-foot-trefoil Narrow-leaved Bird's-foot-trefoil Narrow-leaved Bird's-foot-trefoil
Habit
Flowers
Flowers
Leaf


Hairy Bird's-foot-trefoil      Lotus subbiflorus

Native on Madeira, Western Europe and the Mediterranean Region.

Hairy Bird's-foot-trefoil Hairy Bird's-foot-trefoil Hairy Bird's-foot-trefoil Hairy Bird's-foot-trefoil
Habit
Habit
Flowers
Flower
Hairy Bird's-foot-trefoil Hairy Bird's-foot-trefoil Hairy Bird's-foot-trefoil Hairy Bird's-foot-trefoil
Flowers
Flowers
Leaves
Leaves


Large-fruited Bird's-foot-trefoil      Lotus edulis

Native to the Mediterranean Region. Flowers relatively large (to 16mm long) on long pedicels./p>

Large-fruited Bird's-foot-trefoil Large-fruited Bird's-foot-trefoil Large-fruited Bird's-foot-trefoil Large-fruited Bird's-foot-trefoil
Habit
Flowers
Flowers
Flower
Large-fruited Bird's-foot-trefoil Large-fruited Bird's-foot-trefoil Large-fruited Bird's-foot-trefoil Large-fruited Bird's-foot-trefoil
Calyx
Leaf
Seed pods
Seed pod


Grey Bird's-foot-trefoil      Lotus cytisoides

Native to the Mediterranean Region. Much confused with Lotus creticus, perhaps because it was considered a form of that species in older books. Grey Bird's-foot-trefoil is highly variable, with glaucous forms resembling creticus and green forms resembling L. longisiliquosus (formerly L. collinus) and with the species often growing together. Grey Bird's-foot-trefoil differs from creticus in its narrower flowers with a shorter, curved keel and its more slender pods. It differs from longisiliquosus by its shorter, blunter calyx teeth and purple-tipped keel.

Grey Bird's-foot-trefoil Grey Bird's-foot-trefoil Grey Bird's-foot-trefoil Grey Bird's-foot-trefoil
Habit
Habit
Flowers
Flowers
Grey Bird's-foot-trefoil Grey Bird's-foot-trefoil Grey Bird's-foot-trefoil Grey Bird's-foot-trefoil
Leaves
Leaves
Leaves
Seed pods


Southern Bird's-foot-trefoil      Lotus ornithopodioides

Native from Macaronesia eastwards through the Mediterranean Region to Ukraine.

Southern Bird's-foot-trefoil Southern Bird's-foot-trefoil Southern Bird's-foot-trefoil Southern Bird's-foot-trefoil
Flowers
Flowers
Flowers
Flowers
Southern Bird's-foot-trefoil Southern Bird's-foot-trefoil Southern Bird's-foot-trefoil Southern Bird's-foot-trefoil
Flowers
Leaf
Leaf
Seed pods


Bird's-foot Restharrow      Ononis ornithopodioides

Native to the Mediterranean Region. A small, highly glandular-pubescent annual.

Bird’s-foot Restharrow Bird’s-foot Restharrow Bird’s-foot Restharrow Bird’s-foot Restharrow
Habit
Habit
Flower
Leaf
Bird’s-foot Restharrow Bird’s-foot Restharrow
Seed pods
Glandular hairs


Small Restharrow      Ononis reclinata

Native from Macaronesia eastwards through western Europe and the Mediterranean Region to Iran and Kenya.

Small Restharrow Small Restharrow Small Restharrow Small Restharrow
Habit
Habit
Flowers
Flower
Small Restharrow Small Restharrow
Flower
Leaf


Downy Restharrow      Ononis pubescens

Native in the western and eastern Mediterranean Regions but apparently absent from the central part of the region. Favours, hot, stony slopes.

Downy Restharrow Downy Restharrow Downy Restharrow Downy Restharrow
Early flower
Flower
Flower
Leaves
Downy Restharrow Downy Restharrow Downy Restharrow Downy Restharrow
Leaf
Leaf
Glandular-hairy stem
Young seed capsule


Sticky Restharrow      Ononis viscosa

Native from Macaronesia eastwards through the Mediterranean Region to Iran. A hightly variable species; leaves either trifoliate, or single-bladed with leaf-like stipules.

Sticky Restharrow Sticky Restharrow
Habit
Flower


Spiny Restharrow      Ononis spinosa

Native throughout Europe to Turkey. A low-growing but erect subshrub to 70cm in height with glandular hairy stems, the hairs distributed discreetly in one ore two narrow rows on the stems. Leaves have three leaflets but may consist of a single, simple blade on upper parts of the plant. The pink and white flowers have the wings shorter than the keel. The stems typically bear obvious, straw-coloured spines.

Spiny Restharrow Spiny Restharrow Spiny Restharrow Spiny Restharrow
Habit
Flower
Leaf
Spine