Lotus namulensis Brand

Species

Angiosperms > Fabales > Fabaceae > Lotus

Characteristics

Perennial herb with numerous annual stems from a woody rootstock. Stems erect or ascending, up to 40 cm tall but usually shorter, 0.5-1.5 mm in diameter, rarely up to 2.5 mm, ± quadrangular and grooved, spreading hairy or sometimes sparsely so. Leaves usually well spaced but sometimes very distant on lower stem, mainly on more vigorous stems; rhachis 1.5-3 mm long (rarely up to 7 mm), broad, canaliculate, hairy to almost glabrous; basal leaflets 4.5-9 x 1.3-3.5 mm, usually 2.5-4.5 times longer than wide, asymmetrically ovate with a basal angle often 70-80º, rarely up to c. 100º, acute to subacute at the apex; apical leaflets 7-15 x (1.5)2-3.5 mm, oblanceolate, narrower than the basal ones, acute to acuminate; all leaflets sparsely hairy to glabrous on upper surface, glabrous beneath or with long hairs only on the midrib and margins, often with reddish markings above and beneath; stipular glands small, inconspicuous. Umbels (4)5-8-flowered; peduncle 35-110 mm long, rarely longer, laterally compressed towards the apex, densely to sparsely covered with fulvous or yellowish spreading hairs, rarely almost glabrous; foliage leaf on the peduncle 1-foliolate or 3-foliolate, sometimes 2-3-lobed; pedicels 1.5-3.5 mm long, often densely spreading hairy, rarely subglabrous; glands (bracts) at the base of the pedicels small, oblong, purplish. Calyx light green, often with reddish or purplish spots, with sparse long weak hairs, sometimes subglabrous save on the teeth margins; hypanthium c. 0.8 mm long, calyx tube 1.8-2.5 mm above the insertion of the stamens; calyx teeth 2-4 mm long, triangular-acuminate. Corolla white with pink, mauve or cream spots, the keel with purplish tip; standard 9-11 x 4.5-5.5 mm, slightly violin-shaped, wedge-shaped at the base, retuse at the apex, the margins thickened and infolded over 3-4 mm from the base; wings 9-11 mm long with the claw 2.5-3 mm long, the blade 6.5-8 x 4-5 mm, laterally pouched, auriculate; keel 8-10 mm long, curved, rostrate, the claws c. 2.5 mm long. Filament sheath 5-6 mm long; free parts of the shorter filaments 2-2.5 mm long, those of the longer filaments 3.5-4 mm long. Ovary 6-7 mm long, glabrous, 29-30-ovulate; style c. 4 mm long. Pod up to 38 x 2.5 mm, usually shorter, terete, purplish or purplish-grey. Seeds 24 or usually fewer, c. 1.8 mm long, ovoid to subglobular, dark brown, dull.
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Leaves usually well spaced but sometimes very distant on lower stem, mainly on more vigorous stems; rhachis 1.5–3 mm long (rarely up to 7 mm), broad, canaliculate, hairy to almost glabrous; basal leaflets 4.5–9 × 1.3–3.5 mm, usually 2.5–4.5 times longer than wide, asymmetrically ovate with a basal angle often 70–80º, rarely up to c. 100º, acute to subacute at the apex; apical leaflets 7–15 × (1.5)2–3.5 mm, oblanceolate, narrower than the basal ones, acute to acuminate; all leaflets sparsely hairy to glabrous on upper surface, glabrous beneath or with long hairs only on the midrib and margins, often with reddish markings above and beneath; stipular glands small, inconspicuous.
Umbels (4)5–8-flowered; peduncle 35–110 mm long, rarely longer, laterally compressed towards the apex, densely to sparsely covered with fulvous or yellowish spreading hairs, rarely almost glabrous; foliage leaf on the peduncle 1-foliolate or 3-foliolate, sometimes 2–3-lobed; pedicels 1.5–3.5 mm long, often densely spreading hairy, rarely subglabrous; glands (bracts) at the base of the pedicels small, oblong, purplish.
Corolla white with pink, mauve or cream spots, the keel with purplish tip; standard 9–11 × 4.5–5.5 mm, slightly violin-shaped, wedge-shaped at the base, retuse at the apex, the margins thickened and infolded over 3–4 mm from the base; wings 9–11 mm long with the claw 2.5–3 mm long, the blade 6.5–8 × 4–5 mm, laterally pouched, auriculate; keel 8–10 mm long, curved, rostrate, the claws c. 2.5 mm long.
Calyx light green, often with reddish or purplish spots, with sparse long weak hairs, sometimes subglabrous save on the teeth margins; hypanthium c. 0.8 mm long, calyx tube 1.8–2.5 mm above the insertion of the stamens; calyx teeth 2–4 mm long, triangular-acuminate.
Stems erect or ascending, up to 40 cm tall but usually shorter, 0.5–1.5 mm in diameter, rarely up to 2.5 mm, ± quadrangular and grooved, spreading hairy or sometimes sparsely so.
Filament sheath 5–6 mm long; free parts of the shorter filaments 2–2.5 mm long, those of the longer filaments 3.5–4 mm long.
Seeds 24 or usually fewer, c. 1.8 mm long, ovoid to subglobular, dark brown, dull.
Pod up to 38 × 2.5 mm, usually shorter, terete, purplish or purplish-grey.
Perennial herb with numerous annual stems from a woody rootstock.
Ovary 6–7 mm long, glabrous, 29–30-ovulate; style c. 4 mm long.
Life form
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.4
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer rhizobia
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) 14 - 30
Germination temperacture (C°) 12 - 18
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Lotus namulensis world distribution map, present in Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:503777-1
WFO ID wfo-0000212220
COL ID 3W85G
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Lotus eylesii Lotus namulensis