| Lotus arabicus Sol. ex L., it is an annual herb with few to many stems from the base. Stems spreading or erect, usually up to 65 cm long, rarely more, and up to 4.5(6) mm in diameter, yellowish, pilose with spreading or arching hairs. Leaves usually well spaced, 5-foliolate. Leaf rhachis 2-8.5 mm long, rather broad, leaflets all similar, up to 29 x 16 mm, cuneate-obovate, obtuse to truncate at the apex, the lateral ones often inserted on the rhachis at different levels, pilose on both surfaces, the indumentum similar to that on the stem and branches. Umbels 1-3(4)-flowered; peduncle up to 50 mm long, foliage leaf on the peduncle 1-foliolate, or sometimes 2-3-foliolate; glands (bracts) at the base of the pedicels usually small, sometimes inconspicuous, pedicels 2-3 mm long. Hypanthium 1-1.3 mm, calyx tube 1.5-2.2 mm above the insertion of the stamens. Calyx lobes 5-6 mm long, becoming 7-7.5 mm long in fruit, narrowly triangular or subulate. Corolla pink, sometimes with purple blotches or stripes, or sometimes reddish or purplish, standard c. 8 mm long, oblong-obovate, wedge-shaped at the base, the margins thickened and infolded near the base; wings 7-7.5 mm long with a narrow claw 2-2.2 mm long, the limb oblong, auriculate, keel as long as the wings, curved, pouched at the sides, the claws 2 mm long, free. Filament sheath c. 4 mm long; free parts of the shorter filaments ± two-thirds as long as those of the longer ones. Ovary c. 5 mm long, c. 22-23-ovulate, glabrous; style 3.5-4 mm long, the tip incurved. Pods 23-36 x 3-3.5 mm, terete to subtorulose, purplish-red, glabrous. Seeds usually c. 18, sometimes less, rarely more, elliptic to ± kidney-shaped, brown, usually mottled. Life Form: Th, Flowering in:———-, Vern:——–, Phytochoria: Tro.+S.Tro., The native range of this species is Sahara to S. Africa and NW. India. Notes: Wild in Libya.
For more information: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:503470-1, https://www.ipni.org/n/503470-1, https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000212157, https://www.gbif.org/species/5356903, https://www.scientificlib.com/en/Biology/Plants/Magnoliophyta/LotusArabicus01.html |
| Distribution in Libya |
| Sirte Plains |
| Sirte 2015, 2016 |
| Bibliographic references: | |
| First: Encyclopedia Flora of Libyan: | |
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| Second: Researches and PhD theses, master theses, Sorted by Newest: | pdf files |
| Elsayed, N. (2016) Relationship between Vegetation and Soil Seed Bank at Protected Versus Unprotected Sites at Coastal Habitats in Libya.CATRINA (2016), 15 (1): 59-68. https://scholar.google.com.eg/citations?user=mSAskW0AAAAJ&hl=en, https://cat.journals.ekb.eg/article_18337_76652686b5c99f5fd479aebab87fbcb4.pdf | Surt region in Libya 2016 |
| Elsayed M. A. N. (2015) Floristic Composition of the Plant Cover at Surt Region in Libya. Catrina (2015), 12 (1): 63-71-2010 By the Egyptian society for environmental SCIENCES. https://cat.journals.ekb.eg/article_18403_37c687e375b9144800a15704e68ebad7.pdf | Plant Cover at Surt Region 2015 |
