Narrow-leaved Lotus,
Streambank Bird's-foot Trefoil, Torrey's Lotus
Lotus oblongifolius
Color: White and yellow
Common name: Narrow-leaved Lotus, Streambank Bird's-foot Trefoil, Torrey's Lotus
Latin name: Lotus oblongifolius
Family: FABACEAE
Height: 6-24 inches
Description: The stem is sprawling or angling upward from the base, 30-60 degrees less than vertical. The inflorescence bears several yellow and white flowers between 1-2 cm long. The fruit is very elongated, reaching up to 5 centimeters in length but just a few millimeters in width.
Leaf: The leaves are each made up of elongated oval leaflets up to 2.5 cm long.
Range: Mojave Desert, California Floristic Province
Habitat: Open, moist forests, river bottoms, marshy meadows, open pine woodland
Elevation: 200–2600 m.
Flowering time: May-Aug
Notes: Photographed Jun 17, 2004, in the San Gabriel Mtns, Highway 2, snow melt creek, Los Angeles County, California.
We have an online wildflower field guide that is designed to help you identify desert wildflowers by color, scientific name, region and common name. The pictures are sized to work on the iPod, iPhone, iPad and similar devices. With your iPod or phone you will easily be able to identify wildflowers while in the desert. Links for downloads are on the bottom of the Wildflower Field Guide page.
Photo tips: Most digital point-and-shoot cameras have a macro function - usually symbolized by the icon of a little flower. When you turn on that function, you allow your camera to get closer to the subject, looking into a flower for example. Or getting up close and personal with a bug. More on desert photography.
Mojave Desert Wildflowers - This book is the standard by which all other wildflower books are measured. The author, Jon Mark Stewart, has combined super photography with concise information. This book has an entire color page for each wildflower covered, with a discussion of the wildflower. 210 pages with 200 color photos. More...
What's Blooming Now - Check the Wildflower Reports
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