FABACEAE Tribe LOTEAE [DRAFT]

Wei Zhi[1];

1. LOTUS Linn., Sp. Pl. 773. 1753.

Chinese Pinyin

Annual or perennial herbs. Leaves 5-foliolate; stipules absent, or reduced to black spot; leaflets entire, usually sessile, 3 crowded at the tip of leaf-axis, 2 at the base, stipule-like, never adnate to the petiole. Flowers 1–5(–7) umbellate on axillary peduncles, with (1–)3 leaflet-like bracts, bracteoles absent, calyx bell-shaped, teeth 5, subequal or the distal longer, rarely connate into 2 lips; corolla yellow, pink, violet, or white; vexillary stamen free, alternate filaments dilated at the apex; anthers uniform; ovary sessile, ovules numerous, style glabrous, with serrulated appendage, stigma terminal or lateral. Pod linear, straight, terete, dehiscent; seeds subgloboid or lenticular, smooth, rarely scabrous.

100 species in N temperate Eurasia, Africa, America, and Oceania. Eight species in China.

1a.       Flowers scarlet or white, more than 15 mm; stem terete; leaflets of the cauline leaves 15–20 mm.

            2a.       Flowers scarlet, purple when dry; pod 4-winged; plant up to 40 cm; cultivated    8. L. tetragonolobus

            2b.       Flowers white; pod cylindric; plant 50–80 cm     1. L. australis

1b.       Flowers yellow, less than 15 mm; stems nearly quadrangular; leaflets of the cauline leaves 5–15 mm.

            3a.       Flowers 10–15 mm; leaflets larger, width to 10 mm, the length less three times of it, obovate-elliptic to oblanceolate, sparsely puberulous or glabrous    2. L. corniculatus

            3b.       Flowers 5–11 mm; leaflets smaller, width under 4 mm.

            4a.       Leaflets of the cauline leaves ovate or oblong-obovate, apex rounded.

            5a.       Plant under 20 cm, spreading white villose; peduncle 1–2 cm; bracts shorter than calyx  4. L. alpinus

            5b.       Plant 10–35 cm, glabrous or sparsely puberulous; peduncle 2–5 cm; bracts equal to calyx; corolla red when dry        5. L. krylovii

            4b.       Leaflets of the cauline leaves linear of linear-lanceolate, apex acute; corolla blue when dry.

            6a.       Peduncle 3–8 cm, 1–5-flowered; corolla 6–11 mm; bracts longer than calyx;     calyx-teeth equal the tube; leaflets 12–15 mm         3. L. tenuis

            6b.       Peduncle 2.5–4 cm, 1–2-(3-) flowered; corolla 5–7 mm; bracts equal or shorter to calyx, calyx-teeth longer than the tube; leaflets 7–15 mm.

            7a.       Stem creeping; corolla orange; pod 20–25 mm, valve thin           6. L. angustissimus

            7b.       Stem erect; corolla yellow; pod 14–18 mm, valve thick              7. L. praetermissus

1. Lotus australis Andrews in Bot. Rep. Pl. t. 264. 1799.

Chinese Pinyin

Perennial herb, 50–80 cm, puberulous. Rootstock woody. Stem terete, strong, fleshy, decumbent with the end ascending. Leaflets 5, obovate-lanceolate to broadly linear, 1–2(–4) cm, base cuneate, apex rounded with a cuspid. Umbels axillary, peduncle 2–3 cm, 3 leaf-like bracts or 1 leaflet at the tip; flowers (3–)4(–8), 14–20 mm, pedicel short, pubescent; calyx-teeth 5, awl-shaped, longer than the tube; corolla white, occasionally pale pink or tinged with violet, dark spotted on the keel; ovary linear, glabrous. Pod cylindric, 3–5 ΄ 0.2–0.3 cm, straight, valves twist; seeds numerous, globoid, smooth. Fl. Sep–Mar.

Sandy place of sea shores. Taiwan (Island Lanyu), [Australia, Japan (Ryukyu Islands), SE Asia].

2. Lotus corniculatus Linn. Sp. Pl. 775. 1753.

Chinese Pinyin

Perennial herb, 15–50 cm, scattered sparsely white puberulous or glabrescent. Stem nearly quadrangular, solid, decumbent or ascending. Leaflets 5, oblique-to oblanceolate-ovate, 5–15 ΄ 4–8 mm, papery, basal pair stipule-like, midrib obscure. Flowers (7–)9–15 mm, in umbels rarely over 7, peduncle 3–10 cm, leaflike bracts 3, equal to the calyx, 5–7 mm, calyx-teeth equal in length, narrowly triangular; corolla yellow or aureate, usually blue when dry; ovary glabrous, ovules 35–40. Pod linear-cylindric, brown 20–25 ΄ 2–4 mm; seeds small, 1 mm, ovoid, grayish brown. Fl. May–Sep, fr. Jul–Oct.

1a.       Plant scattered sparsely white puberulous; flowers 3–7 in umbels; calyx-teeth equal to the tube    2a. var. corniculatus

1a.       Plant glabrescent; flowers 1–3(–4) in umbels; calyx-teeth longer or equal to the tube       2b. var. japonicus

2a. Lotus corniculatus var. corniculatus

Chinese Pinyin

Plant puberulous, especially obvious on the petiolule; flowers 3–7; calyx-teeth equal to tube.

Moist and weak alkaline soil of fields, grassland, and ravine. Provinces upper and middle reaches of the Chang Jiang, NW, SW China, [Eurasia, Australis, N America].

2b. Lotus corniculatus var. japonicus Regel, Ind. Sem. H. Petrop. 23. 1864.

Chinese Pinyin

Plant glabrescent; flowers 1–3(–4); calyx-teeth slightly longer than or equal to the tube.

Also under the autonym.

2. Lotus tenuis Waldst. & Kit. Ex Willd. Enum. Pl. Hort. Bot. Reg. Berol. 2: 797. 1809.

Chinese Pinyin

Perennial herb, 20–100 cm, sparsely puberulous or glabrescent. Stem slender, erect, internode rather long, hollow. Leaflets 5, linear to oblong-linear, 15–25 ΄ 2–4 mm, basal pair more shorter. Flowers 8–13 mm, in umbels 1–3(–5), peduncle 3–8 mm, slender; bracts 1–3, longer than calyx 1.5–2 times; calyx 5–6 mm, teeth equal to the tube; corolla yellow with red tiny lines; stamens diadelphous, the adaxial free, remainder 5 longer and 4 shorter; ovary linear, ovules numerous, pod cylindric, 20–40 ΄ 2 mm, straight; seeds globoid, 1 mm, olive green, smooth. Fl. May–Aug, fr. Jul–Sep.

Saline, poor-drained grassland of lake or swamp shores. NW China, [E, S Europe, Near East, Russia].

4. Lotus alpinus (DC.) Schleicher ex Ramond, Mem. Mus. Hist. Nat. (Paris) 13: 275. 1825.

Chinese Pinyin

L. corniculatus var. alpinus Ser. In DC. Prodr. 2: 214. 1825.

Perennial herb, up to 20 cm, spreading white villose. Stems clumpy, erect or ascending, quadrangular, hollow. Leaflets 5, apex 3 obliquely obovate, 6 ΄ 4–5 mm, base cuneate, apex rounded, the basal 2 obliquely cordate, asymmetric, villose on both surfaces, rough adaxially. Flowers 8–11 mm, in umbels 2–4, peduncle 10–20 mm; leaf-like bracts 3, one fourth to one third of calyx, calyx 6 mm, teeth slightly longer than the tube, villose; corolla yellow; ovary glabrous, ovules 35. Fl. Jun–Aug.

Alpine rocky slopes; 3000–3500 m. Qinghai, Xizang, [C Asia, C Europe].

5. Lotus krylovii Schischk. & Serg. In Animadv. Syst. Herb. Univ. Tomsk. 7–8: 5. 1932.

Chinese Pinyin

L. frondosus (Freyn) Kuprianova.

Perennial herb, 10–35 cm, glabrous or puberulous on cauline leaves. Stem branched from the base, erect or ascending, internode short, leafy, hollow. Leaflets 5, the apical 3 obovate to obovate-elliptic, 7–13 ΄ 4–6 mm, base cuneate, apex rounded, the basal 2 obliquely ovate, acute; subglabrous on both surfaces. Flowers 8–11 mm, 1–2(–3) in umbels, peduncle 2–5 cm; bracts 3 or 5, equal to calyx; l calyx 5–6 mm, teeth filiform, longer than the tube; corolla orange with red spots; ovary linear, ovules 30–35. Pod cylindric, 20–30 ΄ 2–3 mm. Fl. May–Aug, fr. Jul–Oct.

Alkaline, saline swamp or lake shores. Xinjiang, [C Asia, E Europe, India, Iran, W Mongolia, Pakistan].

6. Lotus angustissimus Linn. Sp. Pl. 774. 1753.

Chinese Pinyin

Annual or biennial herbs, rarely short-lived perennial, (5–)20–30(–50) cm, glabrescent or sparse pilose. Stems prostrate or ascending, branchy, slender. Leaflets 5, apical 3 obovate-lanceolate, 8–15 ΄ 2–3 mm, acute, basal 2 obliquely ovate, apex rounded, appressed pilose on both surfaces. Flowers 5–7(–8) mm, 1–2(–3) in umbels; peduncle 2.5–4 cm; bracts 1–3, unequal; calyx 4–5 mm, teeth filiform, usually 1.5 times longer than the tube; corolla orange, vexillum equal to the keel, wings slightly shorter. Pod cylindric, 20–25 ΄ 1–1.5 mm, straight, dark brown. Fl. Jun–Oct, fr. Jul–Nov.

Moist sandy soil of grassland by ravine; 500–1200 m. Xinjiang, [C Asia, S Europe, Near East, W Siberia].

7. Lotus praetermissus Kuprianova, Not. Syst. Inst. Bot. Acad. Sci. (Leningrad) 7(1): 37. 1937.

Chinese Pinyin

Annual herb, 10–30 cm, glabrescent or sparsely pilose. Stems erect or ascending, branched from the base. Leaflets 5, apical 3 linear-lanceolate, 7–15 ΄ 2–4 mm, basal 2 narrowly oblique-ovate, glabrescent on both surfaces. Flowers 5–7 mm, 1–2 in umbels; bract 1, shorter than calyx; calyx-teeth equal to the tube; corolla yellow, vexillum slightly longer the keel; ovary linear, ovules 18. Pod straight, 14–18 ΄ 1.5–2.5 mm, yellowish brown. Fl. Jun–Sep.

Moist grassland and sandy soil by margin of swamps. Xinjiang, [C Asia, E Europe, W Siberia].

8. Lotus tetragonolobus Linn. Sp. Pl. 773. 1753.

Chinese Pinyin

Tetragonolobus purpureus Moench.

Annual herb, 15–40 cm. Stem fleshy, prostrate, ascending, or erect, branchy, ridged, usually spreading sparsely villose. Leaflets 5, apical 3 ovate-rhombic, 2–5 ΄ 3 cm, base cuneate, apex acuminate, basal 2 stipule-shaped, ovate, less than 1 cm, puberulous on both surfaces. Flowers 20 mm, 1–2 in umbels at short peduncles; bracts 3; calyx 15 mm, pubescent, often with dark purple spots, teeth longer the tube; corolla scarlet, mauve when dry; ovary glabrous, ovules numerous. Pod cylindric, (20–)30–60(–70) ΄ 5–8 mm, tapering to both ends, margins thickened, 4 wings by the sides of both sutures, undulate, 2–4 mm in width; seeds subgloboid, 3.5–4.5 mm, brown, smooth.

Cultivated for use the tender pod as vegetable.


[1] Herbarium, Zhejiang Museum of Natural History, 10 Jiaogong Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310012, People’s Republic of China.