''Lotus australis'', known by its common name of austral trefoil, is a small, spreading herb from the family
Fabaceae. It normally grows to around 30–50 cm in height and is native to
Australia.
Leaves are of a trifoliate shape and are small, with a light green colour. During
spring
Spring(s) may refer to:
Common uses
* Spring (season)
Spring, also known as springtime, is one of the four temperate seasons, succeeding winter and preceding summer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of ...
, the plant bursts into beautiful massed displays of white pea flowers. In
summer, these are replaced with stiff, tubular beans, which explode when they dry, releasing multiple small, black
legume seeds. Austral trefoil is easily
propagated from these seeds, by soaking the seeds in hot water overnight before sowing. This mimics the heat of a bushfire, which is a contributing factor in
germination in the wild.
''Lotus australis'' is one of just a few plants in which the
cyanogenic
Cyanide is a naturally occurring, rapidly acting, toxic chemical that can exist in many different forms.
In chemistry, a cyanide () is a chemical compound that contains a functional group. This group, known as the cyano group, consists of a ...
glucoside known as
lotaustralin
Lotaustralin is a cyanogenic glucoside found in small amounts in Fabaceae austral trefoil (''Lotus australis''), cassava (''Manihot esculenta''), lima bean (''Phaseolus lunatus''), roseroot (''Rhodiola rosea'') and white clover (''Trifolium repen ...
naturally occurs.
Gallery
Image:Lotus australis 1 habit.jpg, Habitat
Image:Lotus australis - flower head 2.jpg, Inflorescence
References
australis
Flora of Australia
Taxa named by Henry Cranke Andrews
{{Loteae-stub