Lotus krylovii
Sist. Zametki Mater. Gerb. Tomsk. 1932(7–8): 5. 1932.
Herbs perennial [annual], 10–45 cm, glabrous (except glabrate on leaves and calyx); taprooted. Stems erect or decumbent, solid, not succulent. Leaves 8–16 mm; rachis 1.5–5 mm; leaflet blades: basal 2 obliquely ovate, terminal 3 obovate to obovate-elliptic or obovate-lanceolate, 5–15 × 1–4 mm, length 3.2–5 times width, apex rounded to ± acute. Peduncles ascending, 1–4.5(–6) cm. Inflorescences 1(or 2[–4]-flowered; bracts 1–3-foliolate. Flowers 7–9.2[–10] mm; calyx 4–6 mm, lobes erect in bud, triangular to deltate-acuminate, (1.5–)2–2.8[–3.5] mm, ± equaling tube, tube glabrate; petals light yellow, ± pink-tinged abaxially, turning pinkish or red, 6.6–8.5 mm, wings equaling keel. Legumes brown, cylindric, 15–25[–35] × 2–3 mm, not septate. Seeds 6–10[–30], brown, finely mottled, globose, 0.8–1.4 mm, smooth. 2n = 12.
Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Alkaline meadows, saline lake shores, dry hillsides.
Elevation: 500–600 m.
Distribution
Introduced; B.C., e Europe (Russia, Ukraine), c, w Asia.
Discussion
Lotus krylovii is known in the flora area only from the the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, near White Lake. I. I. Zandstra and W. F. Grant (1968) reported it in their study of Lotus in Canada, and it is still extant there.
S. I. Ali (1977) synonymized this species with an expanded Lotus corniculatus var. tenuifolius Linnaeus (synonym of L. tenuis), but the taxa are distinct in morphology, distribution, and ecology.
Selected References
None.