Taxon: Lotus corniculatus L.

Summary

Genus:

Lotus

Family:

Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae)

Subfamily:

Faboideae

Tribe:

Loteae

Nomen number:

300317

Place of publication:

Sp. pl. 2:775. 1753

Typification:

View in Linnean Typification Project

Verified:

08/04/1986 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

624 (491 active, 444 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Lotus corniculatus L. var. borealis Hyl. (0 active accession[s])
Lotus corniculatus L. var. carnosus Hartm. (0 active accession[s])
Lotus corniculatus L. var. corniculatus (52 active accession[s])
Lotus corniculatus L. var. hirsutus W. D. J. Koch (0 active accession[s])
Lotus corniculatus L. var. japonicus Regel (1 active accession[s])

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Heterotypic Synonym(s)


Lotus corniculatus L. var. major (Scop.) Brand
Lotus major Scop.
Lotus corniculatus L. subsp. major (Scop.) Gams
Lotus ambiguus Besser ex Spreng.
Lotus balticus Miniaev
Lotus komarovii Miniaev
Lotus olgae Klokov
Lotus ruprechtii Miniaev
Lotus tauricus Juz.
Lotus zhegulensis Klokov
Lotus carpetanus Lacaita

Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)

Links

Forestry Images – from www.forestryimages.org
Seeds or fruits – Seed ID Workshop image, from Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, Ohio State University

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Afonin, A. N., S. L. Greene, N. I. Dzyubenko, & A. N. Frolov, eds. Interactive agricultural ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries. Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds (on-line resource).
Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Ali, S. I. & S. M. H. Jafri, eds. 1976-. Flora of Libya.
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Botanical Society of the British Isles. BSBI taxon database (on-line resource).
Chrtková-Žertová, A. 1973. A monographic study of Lotus corniculatus L. I. Central and northern Europe. Rozpr. Ceskoslov. Akad. Ved. 83:1-94.
Cooper, M. R. & A. W. Johnson. 1998. Poisonous plants and fungi in Britain: animal and human poisoning Note: poisonous
Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 146-147.
Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
Englert, J. M. et al. 1999-. USDA-NRCS Improved conservation plant materials released by NRCS and cooperators
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
Grant, W. F. & E. Small. 1996. The origin of the Lotus corniculatus (Fabaceae) complex: a synthesis of diverse evidence. Canad. J. Bot. 74:975-989.
Grant, W. F. 1995. A chromosome atlas and interspecific - intergenic index for Lotus and Tetragonolobus (Fabaceae). Canad. J. Bot. 73:1787-1809. Note: a species with chromosome numbers ranging from diploid (2n=12) to octoploids (2n=48), and aneuploids, mostly recognized as a tetraploid (2n=24)
Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
Huang, S. F. & T. C. Huang. 1987. Taxonomic treatment of the Papilionoideae (Leguminosae) of Taiwan. Taiwania 32:11-117.
Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Inst. Bot. V. L. Komarova, Acad. Sci. URSS. 1963-. Plantae asiae centralis.
International Seed Testing Association. 1982. A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 1. Field crops, grasses and vegetables, ed. 2.
Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
Jahandiez, E. & R. Maire. 1931-1941. Catalogue des plantes du Maroc.
Jones, D. A. & R. Turkington. 1986. Biological Flora of the British Isles. No. 163. Lotus corniculatus L. J. Ecol. 74:1185-1212. Note: Lotus corniculatus is recognized as a variable species with five or six varieties in Britain
Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
Kirkbride, J. H., Jr. 1999. Lotus systematics and distribution. Special Publ. Crop Sci. Soc. Amer. 28:9.
Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
Lassen, P. 1987. Lotus. In: W. Greuter & T. Raus (eds.), Med-Checklist notulae, 14. Willdenowia 16:443.
Magness, J. R. et al. 1971. Food and feed crops of the United States. IR Bull. 1
Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
Meikle, R. D. 1977-1985. Flora of Cyprus.
Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
Quézel, P. & S. Santa. 1962-1963. Nouvelle flore de l'Algerie.
Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Small, E. et al. 1984. A taxonomic study of the Lotus corniculatus complex in Turkey. Canad. J. Bot. 62:1044-53.
Täckholm, V. 1974. Students' flora of Egypt, ed. 2.
Thulin, M. 1983. Leguminosae of Ethiopia. Opera Bot. 68:1-223.
Townsend, C. C. & E. Guest. 1966-. Flora of Iraq.
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: = Lotus corniculatus var. eremanthus
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. UC SAREP on-line cover crop database (on-line resource).
Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina. Note: mentions
2018. Mid-Atlantic invasive plant species (on-line resource)
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Note: forage crop

Common names

Language	Name	note	seq	Citation
English	bird's-foot trefoil		1	Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
English	common bird's-foot trefoil		1	Botanical Society of the British Isles. BSBI taxon database (on-line resource).
English (Canada)	bird’s-foot trefoil	Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada official name	2	Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 146-147.
French	cornette		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
French	cube		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
French	lotier corniculé		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
French (Canada)	lotier corniculé	Agriculture & Agroalimentaire Canada nom officiel	2	Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 146-147.
German	Hornklee		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Italian	ginestrino		2	International Seed Testing Association. 1982. A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 1. Field crops, grasses and vegetables, ed. 2.
Japanese Rōmaji	miyakogusa		2	Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
Portuguese	cornichão		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanish	cuernecillo		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanish	cuernecillo del campo		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Swedish	käringtand		2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Transcribed Chinese	bai mai gen		2	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Kenya			Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: = Lotus corniculatus var. eremanthus
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Tanzania			Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: = Lotus corniculatus var. eremanthus
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Ethiopia			Thulin, M. 1983. Leguminosae of Ethiopia. Opera Bot. 68:1-223.
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Sudan			Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: = Lotus corniculatus var. eremanthus
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Algeria		n.	Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Morocco			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Tunisia			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Armenia			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Azerbaijan			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Georgia			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Russian Federation	Dagestan		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia	Ciscaucasia		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Korea			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Taiwan			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Kazakhstan			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Tajikistan			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Turkmenistan			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Mongolia	Mongolia			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Russian Far East	Russian Federation	Primorye		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation-Western Siberia	Western Siberia	s.w.	Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Afghanistan			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Cyprus			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Iran			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Iraq			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Turkey			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Nepal			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Pakistan			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Belarus			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Estonia			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Latvia			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Lithuania			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Moldova			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation-European part	European part		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Ukraine		incl. Krym	Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Austria			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Belgium			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Czechoslovakia			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Germany			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Hungary			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Netherlands			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Poland			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Switzerland			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	Denmark			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	Finland			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	Ireland			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	Norway			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	Sweden			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	United Kingdom			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Albania			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Bulgaria			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Former Yugoslavia			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Greece			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Romania			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	France			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Spain			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
2	Cultivated					also cult.	Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
4	Naturalized	Australasia	Australia	Australia			Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
4	Naturalized	Australasia	New Zealand	New Zealand			Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
4	Naturalized	Northern America		Canada			Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
4	Naturalized	Northern America		United States			Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
4	Naturalized	Southern America		South America		s.	Kirkbride, J. H., Jr. 1999. Lotus systematics and distribution. Special Publ. Crop Sci. Soc. Amer. 28:9.

Native
Africa

NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria (n.), Morocco, Tunisia
NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Ethiopia, Sudan
EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania

Asia-Temperate

WESTERN ASIA: Afghanistan, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Turkey
CAUCASUS: Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia [Ciscaucasia], Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russian Federation [Dagestan]
SIBERIA: Russian Federation-Western Siberia [Western Siberia (s.w.)]
MIDDLE ASIA: Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan
MONGOLIA: Mongolia
RUSSIAN FAR EAST: Russian Federation [Primorye]
CHINA: China
EASTERN ASIA: Korea, Japan, Taiwan

Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India, Nepal, Pakistan

Europe

NORTHERN EUROPE: Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Sweden
MIDDLE EUROPE: Czechoslovakia, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland
EASTERN EUROPE: Russian Federation-European part [European part], Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Ukraine (incl. Krym)
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Former Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania
SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain, France

Cultivated (also cult.)
Naturalized
Australasia

AUSTRALIA: Australia
NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand

Northern America

REGION: Canada, United States

Southern America

REGION: South America (s.)

Reference(s)

Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
Kirkbride, J. H., Jr. 1999. Lotus systematics and distribution. Special Publ. Crop Sci. Soc. Amer. 28:9.
Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
Thulin, M. 1983. Leguminosae of Ethiopia. Opera Bot. 68:1-223.
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: = Lotus corniculatus var. eremanthus
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Reference
Animal food	fodder	Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Animal food	fodder	Magness, J. R. et al. 1971. Food and feed crops of the United States. IR Bull. 1
Bee plants	honey production	Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
Bee plants	honey production	Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Environmental	soil improver	University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. UC SAREP on-line cover crop database (on-line resource).
Vertebrate poisons	mammals	Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
Vertebrate poisons	mammals	Cooper, M. R. & A. W. Johnson. 1998. Poisonous plants and fungi in Britain: animal and human poisoning Note: poisonous
Weed		Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=300317. Accessed 10 May 2026.