species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
in the family Fabaceae, native to the Canary Islands. Some authors have included ''L. tenellus'' in '' Lotus glaucus'', a species found in Madeira and the Salvage Islands. ''L. leptophyllus'' may be treated as a synonym of ''L. tenellus'' or as a separate species. ''L. tenellus'' has yellow flowers, with usually no more than three flowers in each flower head (
umbel
In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin ''umbella'' "p ...
). Its leaves are made up of five leaflets.
Description
''Lotus tenellus'' is a
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 wid ...
herbaceous or shrubby plant. The leaves are either unstalked (sessile) or have a very short petiole, and are made up of five pinnate leaflets. The two basal leaflets are 1–5 mm long. A short axis (rhachis) 1–2 mm long, shorter than the basal leaflets, separates them from the other three leaflets, which are 2–7 mm long, usually longer than the basal leaflets. The stems and leaves have either straight hairs which lie flat along the surface or curved upright hairs – sometimes a mixture of the two. The hairs are not particularly dense, so that the surface is clearly visible. The yellow flowers are arranged in
umbel
In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin ''umbella'' "p ...
s, usually with one to three flowers, occasionally up to four. The peduncule (stem) of the umbel is two to six times as long as the subtending leaves. The upper petal (the standard) is nearly as long as the keel petals, being 9–14 mm long. The wing petals are usually just shorter than the keel at 8–13 mm. The fruit pods are straight.
Taxonomy
''Lotus tenellus'' was first described, as ''Pedrosia tenella'', by
Richard Thomas Lowe
Richard Thomas Lowe (1802–1874) was an English scientist, a botanist, ichthyologist, malacologist, and a clergyman. In 1825 he graduated from Christ's College, Cambridge, and in the same year he took holy orders. In 1832 he became a clergyman i ...
in 1862. Lowe created a new genus, ''Pedrosia'', for some species of ''Lotus''. (The genus is now usually treated as ''Lotus'' section ''Pedrosia''.) Lowe distinguished ''Pedrosia tenella'' (''Lotus tenellus''), found in the Canary Islands, from ''Pedrosia glauca'' (''Lotus glaucus''), found in Madeira. Subsequent authors did not accept either his genus or this distinction, sinking ''Lotus tenellus'' into ''Lotus glaucus''. A survey of ''Lotus'' sect. ''Pedrosia'' in 2006 accepted Lowe's separation of the two species, transferring his ''Pedrosia tenella'' to ''Lotus''.
Lowe distinguished ''Pedrosia tenella'' (''Lotus tenellus'') from ''Pedrosia leptophylla'' (''Lotus leptophyllus''). Some sources accept ''Lotus leptophyllus'' as a distinct species. A 2006 survey of ''Lotus'' section ''Pedrosia'' treats ''L. leptophyllus'' as a synonym of ''L. tenellus''.
Distribution and habitat
''Lotus tenellus'' is found in the coastal zone of
Tenerife
Tenerife (; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands. It is home to 43% of the total population of the archipelago. With a land area of and a population of 978,100 inhabitants as of Janu ...
and
Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria (, ; ), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, an archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa which is part of Spain. the island had a population of that ...