''Hippocrepis emerus'', the scorpion senna, is a species of

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

plant belonging to the genus ''

Hippocrepis ''Hippocrepis'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. Etymology The name "Hippocrepis" comes from the Greek for "horse" () and for "shoe" (): literally, "horseshoe"; this is descriptive of the shape of the fruit segments in ...

'' in the family

Fabaceae The Fabaceae or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomenc ...

Description

''Hippocrepis emerus'' reaches on average of height, with a maximum of . The plant has a lignified stem with green branches bearing five to nine leaflets. These leaves are glossy, obovate, and

imparipinnate Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...

, with their maximum width being above the middle and often larger extremities. The pale yellow flowers are arranged in groups of 1 to 5, and measure long. The petals are "nailed", meaning they have a long handle ("nail") and a "plate". The nails of the petals are two to three times longer than the calyx. These plants are hermaphroditic and entomophilous, and their flowering period extends from April through July. Their legumes (seed pods) are oblong-cylindrical and long, with three to twelve segments.

Distribution

This plant occurs in northeastern

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

and in central

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

countries up to northern

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

and to

Asia Minor Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

and

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

Habitat

These shrubs are usually found in wooded and bushy areas, on sunny, warm and dry slopes and around forest edges. They can be found at an altitude of .

Food source

''H. emerus'' is one of the main host plants of the moth ''

Zygaena ephialtes ''Zygaena ephialtes'' is day-flying species of burnet moth found in Europe. It is typically found in xeric habitats, and populations have recently decreased. It also exhibits Müllerian mimicry with other species, like '' Amata phegea''. Descri ...

.''

Gallery

References

* Pignatti S. - Flora d'Italia - Edagricole – 1982. vol. III * Tutin, T. G., eds. 1964 -1980 - Flora europaea

External links

Biolib

Hippocrepis
emerus Flora of Italy Flora of Malta {{Loteae-stub