365 Urban Species. #202: Birdsfoot Trefoil

[urbpan]

Photos by urbpan. Location: sidewalk near the Victory Gardens.

Urban species #202: Birdsfoot trefoil Lotus corniculatus

A great many urban plants are legumes introduced for agricultural reasons. They are used to create pastures full of high-protein greens, which leave the soil richer than when they got there. Birdsfoot trefoil is not as adventurous as its close relatives, red and white clover, and isn't nearly as common. It gets its name from the shape of its seed pods, which come in groups of three or more, like toes of a bird. The second part of its name refers to the three leaflets, which themselves bear some resemblance to a bird's foot--perhaps the foot of an American coot. The flowers of birdsfoot trefoil are too difficult to pry open for small insects, but are perfect for honeybees; beekeepers are said to approve of the quality of honey made from the nectar of this plant.

Comments

[okaree.livejournal.com]

Shoot, I've been getting this mixed up with butter and eggs all summer. This one's much smaller, right?

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Trefoil is rather sprawling, while butter-and-eggs is erect.

[desu.livejournal.com]

If that second picture were larger, I'd ask for a print. Love that smooth yellow cheerfulness.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It makes me feel summery.

[temeres.livejournal.com]

I've only just discovered your journal and I'm surprised at the number of things you're posting about that I - on the other side of the Atlantic - am familiar with. Is your BFT the same species as my Lotus corniculatus, and if so is it native or an import?

A quaint vernacular English name for BFT is Grandmother's Toenails, presumably derived from the shape of the fruiting bodies. Not terribly kind to grandmothers, though. Or toenails.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Whoops! Sorry, I got sloppy and forgot to include the scientific name. Yes, same plant.

A great many urban plants in North America are European in origin. (almost all the plants I have posted have been) In New England, a lot of our urban invertebrate fauna is European as well. Do you know this fellow? Or this one? Take a look at some of the archives and there will be many living things that are familiar to you!

[temeres.livejournal.com]

Both very familiar to me! Though one of the woodlice in the pic looks more like Philoscia muscorum.

I'm not surprised that there is much European flora and fauna in New England. In the same way, a lot of the plants of southern England are of Mediterranean origin, brought in by the Romans.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Yes, the larger woodlice are the species profiled. I didn't research the smaller ones.