Lotus nuttallianus
| Lotus nuttallianus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Tribe: | Loteae |
| Genus: | Lotus |
| Species: | L. nuttallianus |
| Binomial name | |
| Lotus nuttallianus Greene | |
Lotus nuttallianus is a species of legume known by the common names Beach Lotus, Nuttall's Lotus, and Wire Bird's-foot Trefoil. It is native to Baja California and just into San Diego County, California, where it is a resident of coastal habitats, such as beaches and bluffs.
It is a rare plant of the highly developed coastline in and around the city of San Diego, where threatened populations are known at Mission Bay,[1] the Silver Strand and Imperial Beach.[2]
This is an annual herb lined with leaves made up of oval leaflets one half to one centimeter long. The inflorescence bears 3 to 8 red and yellow flowers each about a centimeter in length. The fruit is a slender, curved legume pod containing usually 2 small beanlike seeds.