Lotus gebelia
Lotus gebelia
Gül gazalboynuzu
Glabrous to villous perennial. Stems procumbent to erect, 10-50 cm, branching. Leaf rachis elongate to very short. Leaflets 10-15 x5-7 mm, usually ± asymmetric, obovate to oblong-lanceolate, those of the lower pair differing in size and shape from the others. Umbels 2-6-flowered, long- to short-peduncled or even subsessile. Bracts 1-3, unequal, usually shorter than calyx. Flowers 13-18 mm. Calyx subcampanulate, teeth 1-1 ½ x tube. Corolla about twice as long as calyx, pink or reddish-purple, rarely white; standard obovate, longer than wings and keel; keel with a long or short beak. Fruit 1-many-seeded, 1-5 x as long as calyx, c. 3 mm broad, terete or ± flattened, often torulose. Fl 5-7.
All pink-flowered perennial plants from Turkey are included here in L. gebelia, since no constant correlation of characters could be found to separate L. varius and other segregates at specific rank. Three varieties can be provisionally recognised in Turkey: the presence or absence of indumentum has not been used in their classification, since glabrous and very hairy plants are often found in the same population. L. gebelia var. libanotica Boiss., with usually smaller flowers and short calyx teeth, is confined to the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon. cf. notes under the closely allied L. aegaeus.
All pink-flowered perennial plants from Turkey are included here in L. gebelia, since no constant correlation of characters could be found to separate L. varius and other segregates at specific rank. Three varieties can be provisionally recognised in Turkey: the presence or absence of indumentum has not been used in their classification, since glabrous and very hairy plants are often found in the same population. L. gebelia var. libanotica Boiss., with usually smaller flowers and short calyx teeth, is confined to the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon. cf. notes under the closely allied L. aegaeus.
1. Legume much longer than calyx, often torulose and contorted; keel usually with a rather long, slender beak; peduncles all manifestly longer than subtending leaf var. gebelia
1. Legume 1-2 x as long as calyx, torulose and ± straight; keel usually broader with a short beak; at least the upper peduncles shorter or slightly longer than subtending leaf
2. Umbels mostly subsessile or shortly pedunculate, forming a spike-like 'inflorescence' ; leaf rachis very short, upper leaflets mostly elongate, acute or subacuminate var. anthylloides
2. At least the lower umbels long-pedunculate, forming a ± paniculate 'inflorescence'; leaf rachis elongate, upper leaflets mostly broadly obovate, apiculate var. hirsutissimus
2. Umbels mostly subsessile or shortly pedunculate, forming a spike-like 'inflorescence' ; leaf rachis very short, upper leaflets mostly elongate, acute or subacuminate var. anthylloides
2. At least the lower umbels long-pedunculate, forming a ± paniculate 'inflorescence'; leaf rachis elongate, upper leaflets mostly broadly obovate, apiculate var. hirsutissimus
