Ornithopus sativus subsp. sativus
Ornithopus sativus
common bird's-foot
common bird's-foot, common ornithopus
20–70 cm.
30–70 × 10–20 mm;
stipules linear, 1–2 mm;
leaflets (9–)19–37, blades elliptical or ovate, leaflets of larger leaves 3.5–6 × 1.5–2.5 mm.
1–3 cm in flower, 3–7 cm in fruit.
0–1 mm.
calyx 3.5–5 mm, lobes 1.5–2.5 mm, less than or equaling tube length;
corolla white or pink, 6–9 mm.
2–5-flowered, 10 mm diam.;
bract shorter than flowers, 5–9-foliolate.
1.5–2 × 1 mm.
compressed, constricted between seeds, 12–25 × 2–2.7 mm;
segments 3–7, elliptic-oblong, 2.8–3.5 mm;
beaks straight, sometimes hooked at tip, 2–5 mm.
Ornithopus sativus subsp. sativus
Ornithopus sativus
Subspecies sativus was previously cultivated for fodder in the flora area.
North American members of the species are subsp. sativus, which has fruits 12–25 mm, straight, without narrow cylindrical constrictions between seeds, and beaks 2–5 mm and straight, while subsp. isthmocarpus (Cosson) Dostál has fruits 20–40 mm, curved, long narrow cylindrical segments between seeds, and beaks 10+ mm and curved. Subspecies isthmocarpus has been reported from California, but the specimens seen are subsp. sativus.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Subspecies 2 (1 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
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