Lotus wrangelianus Fischer & C. Meyer

 

= Lotus subpinnatus

 

Fabaceae (Pea Family)

 

Native

 

California Lotus 

                                          April Photo

 

Plant Characteristics: Annual, +/- strigose or with hairs soft, spreading; generally prostrate, branched at base; lf. stipules gland-like or +/- 0; lfts. generally 4, +/- alternate, 4-15 mm. long, elliptic or obovate; axis flat, +/- blade-like; infl. 1-flowered; peduncle +/- 0, slightly longer in fr.; fls. sometimes not opening; calyx 2.5-5 mm., lobes +/- 0.8-1.2 x tube; corolla yellow, 5-9 mm., wings +/- = keel; fr. dehiscent, 10-18 mm. long, 2.2-3 mm. wide, oblong; seeds few to several.

 

Habitat:  Abundant. Coastal bluffs, chaparral, disturbed areas; 0-1500 m.  California Floristic Province.  Probably naturalized on the Modoc Plateau and the Sonoran (Colorado) Desert. (Hickman Ed. 622).  No bloom period given in Hickman, Munz, Flora So. Calif. lists March-June as bloom period for L. subpinnatus.

 

Name: Lotus, an ancient Greek name.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 444).  The name wrangelianus is capitalized in Abrams, indicating that the name is in honor of a person.  I have no reference that indicates who this person might be.  (my comment).

 

General:  Uncommon in the study area, found only in the Santa Ana Heights on the knoll southerly of a line prolonging Mesa Dr.  (my comment).      Sometimes mistaken for L. subpinnatus.  (Hickman, Ed. 622).       Several authors, including Abrams, Munz, and the 1927 Jepson list Lotus wrangelianus as another name for L. subpinnatus.  (my comment).

 

Text Ref: Abrams, Vol. II 545; Hickman, Ed. 622; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 450; Roberts 21.

Photo Ref:  April 95 # 11.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by John Johnson.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 479.

Have plant specimen.

Last Edit 1/17/03.