Today, I continue in my recent theme of posting about
Fabaceae (legumes) introduced to North America as forage plants (see:
Galega orientalis (fodder galega),
Medicago sativa (alfalfa),
Trifolium pratense (red clover). This time, I'm going to talk about
Lotus corniculatus (bird's-foot trefoil).
|
Lotus corniculatus inflorescence |
This species is native to Europe, Asia, and Africa [
1], and has been introduced to most of North America (US range map
here, Canada range map
here), primarily as fodder (livestock animal feed). It is a member of the family
Fabaceae (legumes) and, like most members of this family, is both a good feed plant and a nitrogen-fixing plant [
1,
2,
3] (nitrogen fixing: removes nitrogen from the atmosphere and puts it into the soil). This plant can become invasive and choke out native plants in some places, especially grasslands [
1,
2,
4].
|
Dense patch of Lotus corniculatus |
Unlike many
Fabaceae used for fodder (including
Medicago sativa and
Galega orientalis),
Lotus corniculatus doesn't cause bloat in cattle and so is a desirable fodder crop [
1,
2].
|
Lotus conriculatus inflorescence |
This plant reproduces primarily through its roots [
1], can occasionally self-pollinate [
5], but is mostly pollinated by large bees [
5], which must be strong enough to pull apart the flowers to access pollen and nectar [
5].
Lotus corniculatus produces large amounts of nectar and so is a desirable honey crop [
5].
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