Crownvetch - Securigera varia - Coronille variée

Today we have yet another introduced species in the family Fabaceae (legume family), this time introduced not as a fodder crop or an ornamental, but for ecosystem management: Securigera varia (aka Coronilla varia, crownvetch) has been introduced to North America primarily as an erosion control plant [1,2,3,4,5,6]. Securigera varia is suitable for this purpose because it spreads rapidly (both through seeding and through vegetative propagation by root spreading) and forms a dense root system [1,2,3,5]. Like many members of the Fabaceae, Securigera varia is a nitrogen-fixing plant [2,4,5,6].

Securigera varia inflorescence

Since its introduction to North America in the 1950s, Securigera varia has spread across much of the continent (US range map here, Canada range map here). Unfortunately, those traits which make Securigera varia a suitable erosion control plant can also make it a problematic invasive plant [1,2,3,5,6]. This plant will tend to squeeze out other plants, disrupting ecosystem functioning [1,2,3,4,5,6].

Securigera varia foliage resembles that of Vicia cracca (cow vetch):

Securigera varia foliage

Bird's-Foot Trefoil - Lotus corniculatus - Pied de poule

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].

Fodder Galega - Galega orientalis

Every now and then I find a plant I wasn't expecting. This is certainly the case for this charming beauty, found along one of the trails in the Mont-Royal park, which I confess to being intrigued about, because I wonder how it ever got there:

Galega orientalis

This is Galega orientalis, a plant native to Russia & environs [1,2]. It is a member of the Fabaceae (legume family), and like many plants in that family is a fixer of nitrogen [1] -- nitrogen-fixing plants are plants which take atmospheric nitrogen and put it into the soil; this is a very useful trait in agriculture (as nitrogen is one of the essential nutrients for plant growth), but not the primary agricultural use of this plant.

Galega orientalis inflorescence - raceme shape

So why was I surprised to find this plant in the park? Well, the plant has been introduced to North America as a fodder (animal feed) plant [1,2,3,4], so it's not surprising to find it somewhere on this continent so much as it is surprising to find it in the Mont-Royal park, relatively distant from any farms or agricultural operations.  There was only the one plant that I could find and it certainly wasn't there as animal feed. My guess would be that it was brought in on a dog's fur or on the clothes of a person involved with or near agricultural operations with this plant.

Galega orientalis inflorescences

G. orientalis is an excellent fodder plant, as it is relatively high in protein and other valuable nutrients [1,5], as well as hardy and tough, making it suitable for tougher conditions. Work is ongoing to determine the best cultivars for introduction of this plant in agriculture as far north as Alaska [4].

Galega orientalis flowers

G. orientalis is a perennial shrub with upright, non-climbing growth habit [3,5,6]. This plant is a good nectar-producer and is pollinated by bees [1,5].

It's also quite a beautiful plant. I'm often quite charmed by plants in the Fabaceae, many of them are quite beautiful. Of course, a great deal of the world agrees with me: the Fabaceae are not only popular in agriculture but in gardening all over the world; sweet peas, among others, are favourite ornamentals from this family. One of the distinctive characteristics of this family is the bilateral symmetry of the flowers (as opposed to the radial symmetry seen in many other families):

Galega orientalis : bilaterally symmetric flowers