Lotus berthelotii
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The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page. (March 2008) |
| Lotus berthelotii | ||||||||||||||||||
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 Lotus berthelotti
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| Lotus berthelotii Lowe ex Masf. |
Lotus berthelotii is a perennial plant native to the Canary Islands, in the genus Lotus. It has a creeping or trailing habit, with leaves divided into 3-5 slender leaflets, each leaflet 1-2 cm long and 1 mm broad, densely covered with fine silvery hairs. The flowers are orange-red to red, peaflower-shaped, but slender, 2-4 cm long and 5-8 mm broad. This plant is either extinct in the wild or persists as a few individuals. In 1884 it was already classed as "exceedingly rare" and plant collection probably hastened its decline. Decline was most likely inevitable, however, because of lack of pollinators. The plant is obviously adapted to be pollinated by birds, but no such birds remain in the Canaries.
[edit] Uses
It is grown as a garden ornamental plant, and is valued for its needle-like silvery foliage and red flowers.
