Hippocrepis L.

66. Hippocrepis L. View in CoL 1

Annual or perennial herbs. Leaves imparipinnate; stipules small, linear or lanceolate, free. Flowers in axillary heads, rarely solitary. Calyx tubular-campanulate with 5 subequal teeth; corolla yellow; keel acute; stamens diadelphous. Legume lomentaceous, laterally compressed; segments lunate to horseshoe-shaped, or flat and rectangular with a semicircular to orbicular sinus, which has a curved protuberance at its base enclosing the seed.

Literature: F. Bellot, Anal. Inst. Bot. Cavanilles 7: 197-334 (1947). A. Hrabëtovâ-Uhrovâ, Acta Acad. Sci. Nat. Mor.-Sil. 21(4) (1949); 22: 99-158, 219-250, 331-356 (1950).

A taxonomically difficult genus in which there is considerable difference of opinion as to the status and affinities of many of the taxa, particularly in species 1-4. All species occur in dry, usually sunny, situations. Width of the legume refers to the width at the articulation.

1 Peduncles not more than 5 mm, usually 1-flowered

10. unisiliquosa 1 Peduncles more than 5 mm, with 2 or more flowers

2 Annual, slender and herbaceous at the base

3 Peduncles longer than the leaves in fruit; corolla 12-15 mm

9. salzmannii 3 Peduncles shorter than or equalling the leaves; corolla

3-8 mm

4 Corolla 3-5 mm; legume with long papillae on the seedprotuberance 7. ciliata 4 Corolla 5-8 mm; legume glabrous or with very small papillae 8. multisiliquosa 2 Perennial, more or less woody and much branched at the base,

or caespitose

5 Seed-protuberance, or sometimes the whole legume, covered with white papillae at least 0-5 mm long 4. squamata 5 Legume glabrous or with much shorter papillae

6 Legume with red or brown papillae 3. comosa 6 Legume glabrous, or with white papillae

7 Legume without broad, flattened regions between the seed-protuberances; segments lunate 1. glauca 7 Legume with broad, flattened regions between the seedprotuberances; segments with a semicircular to orbicular sinus

8 Legume more or less densely papillose, particularly on

the seed-protuberance 2. scabra 8 Legume glabrous, rarely very sparsely papillose

9 Leaflets 3-6 pairs, the largest c. 5 mm wide, obovate; claw of the standard about as long as the calyx

5. valentina 9 Leaflets 5-10 pairs, the largest usually not more than

2 mm wide, linear or oblong; claw of the standard

twice as long as the calyx 6. balearica