Lotus arabicus L.
Indigenous

Morphological description

Annual herb with few to many stems from the base. Stems spreading or erect, usually up to 65 cm long, rarely more, and up to 4.5(6) mm in diameter, yellowish, pilose with spreading or arching hairs. Leaves usually well spaced, 5-foliolate; leaf rhachis 2-8.5 mm long, rather broad; leaflets all similar, up to 29 x 16 mm, cuneate-obovate, obtuse to truncate at the apex, the lateral ones often inserted on the rhachis at different levels, pilose on both surfaces, the indumentum similar to that on the stem and branches. Umbels 1-3(4)-flowered; peduncle up to 50 mm long; foliage leaf on the peduncle 1-foliolate, or sometimes 2-3-foliolate; glands (bracts) at the base of the pedicels usually small, sometimes inconspicuous; pedicels 2-3 mm long. Hypanthium 1-1.3 mm, calyx tube 1.5-2.2 mm above the insertion of the stamens; calyx lobes 5-6 mm long, becoming 7-7.5 mm long in fruit, narrowly triangular or subulate. Corolla pink, sometimes with purple blotches or stripes, or sometimes reddish or purplish; standard c. 8 mm long, oblong-obovate, wedge-shaped at the base, the margins thickened and infolded near the base; wings 7-7.5 mm long with a narrow claw 2-2.2 mm long, the limb oblong, auriculate; keel as long as the wings, curved, pouched at the sides, the claws 2 mm long, free. Filament sheath c. 4 mm long; free parts of the shorter filaments ± two-thirds as long as those of the longer ones. Ovary c. 5 mm long, c. 22-23-ovulate, glabrous; style 3.5-4 mm long, the tip incurved. Pod 23-36 x 3-3.5 mm, terete to subtorulose, purplish-red, glabrous. Seeds usually c. 18, sometimes less, rarely more, elliptic to ± kidney-shaped, brown, usually mottled. From: Martins, ES. 2003. 61. Leguminosae (Papilionoideae): Tribe 12. Loteae: 83. Lotus L. Fl. Zambes. 3(7): 1-9. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London. [CC BY]

Habitat

River banks, in sand and mud, usually in hot low altitudes 45-1050 m. From: Martins, ES. 2003. 61. Leguminosae (Papilionoideae): Tribe 12. Loteae: 83. Lotus L. Fl. Zambes. 3(7): 1-9. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London. [CC BY]

Distribution

Angola; Arabia; Egypt; Ethiopia; Gambia; Mali; northern Nigeria; Senegal; South Africa (Northern Prov.); Sudan; Tanzania. From: Martins, ES. 2003. 61. Leguminosae (Papilionoideae): Tribe 12. Loteae: 83. Lotus L. Fl. Zambes. 3(7): 1-9. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London. [CC BY]

Altitude

45 to 1050 m

Occurrence records map

This map contains point-based occurrences at different locations

iNaturalist: BODATSA: Data partners records:

Residence status

Occurrence in the Flora of Southern Africa (FSA) countries and South African provinces. Residence status indicates if a taxon is indigenous, endemic, naturalised or invasive in a specific region. This data is based on specimen records and literature

FSA

SA

BOT

NAM

ESW

LES

WC

EC

NC

FS

GA

KZN

LP

MP

NW

Absent

Indigenous

Endemic

Naturalised

Invasive

Names and Sources

Accepted name
Lotus arabicus L.
Synonym(s)

Lotus mossamedensis Welw. ex Baker


Classification

KINGDOM Plantae

SUBKINGDOM Phanerogamae

ORDER Fabales

FAMILY Fabaceae

TRIBE Loteae

GENUS Lotus

SPECIES arabicus

3 results for Lotus arabicus L.

Narrow your results

Narrow your results

Specimen records

Barcode: PRE0457856-0 Collector(s) & number: Lang, H, TRV 32916 | 1932-11-

South Africa, Limpopo, ZOUTPANSBERG DIST.; KRUGER NAT. PARK; PUNDA MARIA

Data Resource: BODATSA View record

Barcode: PRE0425823-0 Collector(s) & number: Rogers, FA, 20702 | 1917-12-

South Africa, Limpopo, ZOUTPANSBERG; MESSINA

Data Resource: BODATSA View record

Barcode: PRE0425822-0 Collector(s) & number: Rogers, FA, 20702 | 1917-12-

South Africa, Limpopo, MESSINA

Data Resource: BODATSA View record

Plant occurence records per dataset

Plant occurence records per year

Occurrence records map

This map contains point-based occurrences at different locations

iNaturalist: BODATSA: Data partners records:

2003

FLORA

61. Leguminosae (Papilionoideae): Tribe 12. Loteae: 83. Lotus L. Martins, ES

Flora Zambesiaca 3(7)1-9

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London

1971

FLORA

Leguminosae subfamily Papilionoideae Gillett, JB; Polhill, RM; Verdcourt, B

Flora of Tropical East Africa Leguminosae(4)503-1109

Crown Agents, London

No results found for Lotus arabicus L.

No assessment available

Part(s) of plant used Use(s) Reference

Coming soon...