Another Swindon "speciality"

This is Narrow-leaved Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus glaber, formerly known as L. tenuis) and it grows in great quantities in West Swindon (here in short grassland at Shaw Forest Park, 30th June 2016). 

When I moved to from Frome to Swindon, i.e about 40 miles to the NE, there were a few plants that really struck me e.g. the abundant quantities of Stone Parsley, Goat's-rue... This should have been another one, except I completely overlooked it (mistaking it for normal Bird's-foot TrefoilI, I suppose). I've only heard about it in the last couple of days, thanks to a couple of Swindon-based colleagues in the Facebook group "Wild Flowers of Britain". Time for a stroll in the park... 

There really is a lot of it!

Here's a single plant growing in longer grass, which actually makes it easier to see the narrow leaflets that are the key identifying feature.

Close-up of those narrow leaflets. I think my close-up camera must have had rain on the lens!

[Image source: http://delta-intkey.com/angio/www/papilion.htm]


Old illustration showing the differences between the three commoner Bird's-foot Trefoils. Lotus glaber is the one in the middle. The one on the left is normal Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus). The one on the right is Large Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus, formerly L. major, L. uliginosus).

Below is my own educational presentation of Lotus glaber (left) and Lotus corniculatus (right):

Lotus glaber and Lotus corniculatus

And finally, here's a photo from a re-visit on 11th July, when the weather was a lot brighter!

Narrow-leaved Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus glaber)