asparagus-pea

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• asparagus-pea
• Winged Pea
• winged-pea
• Asparagus pea

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Tetragonolobus siliquosus var. maritimus
• Tetragonolobus pseudopurpureus
• Lotus purpureus var. palaestinus
• Lotus palaestinus
• Lotus tetraptera
• Scandalida tetragonoloba
• Lotus tetragonolobus subsp. palaestinus
• Tetragonolobus palaestinus
• Tetragonolobus purpureus
• Tetragonolobus purpureus subsp. palaestinus

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Fabales, it is classified under the family Fabaceae and is specifically identified by the genus Lotus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse distribution across several European regions. In Middle Europe, its presence can be documented within the territories of Germany and the Czechia-Slovakia border area. Moving toward the Mediterranean, it is found throughout Southwestern Europe. Specifically, its range includes the islands of Baleares and Corse. Additionally, the plant is widely distributed across the mainland of France.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Lotus tetragonolobus is characterized by its preference for lowland environments, thriving in regions situated at lower altitudes. It maintains a specific elevational range that extends from sea level (0 m AMSL) up to a maximum altitude of 600 m AMSL. This distribution indicates that the species is adapted to the warmer, more stable climatic conditions typical of lowland habitats.

Elevational range max:

600 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Lowland

Life history

The life history of Lotus tetragonolobus is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning the plant completes its entire biological progression from germination to seed production within a single growing season. In terms of its structural life form, it is classified as a therophyte, a strategy where the plant survives unfavorable conditions primarily through dormant seeds, emerging as a temporary herbaceous individual during favorable periods. This growth habit aligns with its classification as a therophyte under both its primary and secondary life form designations, indicating a specialized evolutionary approach to rapid seasonal development and survival.

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Lotus tetragonolobus is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb. The plant exhibits a versatile ecological habit, functioning across aquatic, semiaquatic, and terrestrial habitats, though it is primarily classified as terrestrial in its epiphytic tendencies. As an independent organism, it does not function as a parasite. The shoot system is characterized by an ascending orientation and is self-supporting rather than acting as a climber. In terms of dimensions, the shoot length typically ranges from a minimum of 10 cm to a maximum of 40 cm, while the overall plant height reaches a maximum of 0.5 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

0.5 m

Shoot length max:

40 cm

Shoot length min:

10 cm

Shoot orientation :

ascending

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Lotus tetragonolobus is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its metabolic approach to carbon fixation and energy production. The vegetative morphology is defined by elliptic leaf forms that exhibit significant dimensional variability. These leaves possess a minimum length of 0.5 cm and can reach a maximum length of 4 cm, while their width ranges from a minimum of 0.4 cm to a maximum of 2.5 cm. This specific range of leaf dimensions and the underlying C3 metabolism influence the plant's gas exchange capacities and overall resource acquisition strategies within its environment.

Leaf form :

elliptic

Leaf length max:

4 cm

Leaf length min:

0.5 cm

Leaf width max:

2.5 cm

Leaf width min:

0.4 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Lotus tetragonolobus is characterized by a flowering period that typically begins in February and concludes in June. During this cycle, the plant produces red flowers that range in length from a minimum of 1.8 cm to a maximum of 2.3 cm. Following pollination, the plant develops fruit in the form of a pod, which is a dehiscence type, meaning it opens at maturity to release its contents. These pods vary in size, with lengths ranging from 3.5 cm to 7.5 cm and widths between 0.4 cm and 0.65 cm. Each fruit contains a relatively small number of seeds, typically ranging from 1 to 10 seeds per fruit. The seeds themselves are consistent in mass, with a recorded mean, minimum, and maximum value of 0.03191 g.

Dehiscence :

dehiscent

Flower colour :

red

Flower length max:

2.3 cm

Flower length min:

1.8 cm

Flowering time :

Feb

Flowering time :

Jun

Fruit length max:

7.5 cm

Fruit length min:

3.5 cm

Fruit type :

pod

Fruit width max:

0.65 cm

Fruit width min:

0.4 cm

Seed mass mean:

0.03191 g

Seeds_per_fruit :

1-10

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Lotus tetragonolobus has 1 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Difucosyllacto-N-neohexaose.

Difucosyllacto-N-neohexaose

1. The Journal of biological chemistry