Peaflower Family:-

The Peaflower Family is "a large family with highly distinctive individual flowers; of the 5 petals, the broad and often erect upper one is known as the 'standard', the two narrower side ones as the 'wings', and the two central lower ones, which enfold the 10 bundled stamens, as the 'keel'. The seeds are in pod (legume) of varying size but usually in the general pattern of a garden pea or bean. Leaves mostly alternate, but the top pair sometimes almost opposite; usually stalked and trifoliate (trefoil) or pinnate, with stipules at their base." from Collins Pocket Guide to Wild Flowers by David McClintock and R.S.R. Fitter assisted by Francis Rose - ISBN 0 00 219363 9 - Eleventh Impression 1978.

Peaflower Family plant table with its Common Name - Botanical Name. Flowering Months Range. Habitat with link to that Peaflowers Wild Flower Family Gallery:-

Common Name

Botanical Name

Flowering Months

Habitat

CLOVERS

Clovers are non-woody plants, rarely over a foot high, with trefoil leaves. The small individual flowers are usually clustered in a dense head; the petals (wings always longer than keel) generally remain after flowering and conceal the tiny pod; calyx 5-toothed.

Hare's-foot Clover

Trifolium arvense

June-August

An annual of open rocky or sandy habitats, such as acidic heathlands, sea-cliffs and sand dunes; also on railway ballast and waste ground inland and in disturbed grassland and set-aside fields on light, sandy soils. Lowland.

Flower from Sandwich on 20 June

Form from Sandwich in Kent in July

Flower from Sandwich on 20 June

Flowers in August

Foliage in August

Form in August

Flowers from Sandwich in July

Seeds from Swansombe in September

Seeds from Swansombe in September

Seeds from Swansombe in September

Hop Trefoil

Trifolium campestre

May onwards

A winter-annual of grassland habitats on dry, relatively infertile neutral or base-rich soils, and thus more demanding and less frequent than T. dubium. It also occurs on spoil heaps from slate and limestone quarries. 0-350 m (Minninglow, Derbys.).

Flower in July

Flowers

Form from Jervaux Abbey in North Yorkshire in June

Flower Buds

Flower Buds from Borough Green in Kent on 5 August

Foliage in July

Foliage from Jervaux Abbey in June

Horseshoe Vetch

Hippocrepis comosa

May-July

A perennial herb occurring in dry, sunny pastures on chalk and limestone, and on rock ledges on limestone cliffs. It prefers a S.-facing aspect, an open situation, and is able to colonise bare chalk, such as that in new road cuttings. Generally lowland, but reaching 600 m on Long Fell, Warcop (Westmorland).

Flower from Queensdown Warren on 5 June

Flowers in June

Form from Temple Ewell in Kent on 5 June

Flower

Flower from Queensdown Warren on 5 June

Foliage from Temple Ewell on 5 June

Flower

Flower Buds from Temple Ewell on 5 June

Flower Buds from Temple Ewell on 5 June

Form

Kidney Vetch

Anthyllis vulneraria

May onwards

A perennial herb of rock outcrops and open turf on S.-facing slopes, on free-draining neutral to base-rich, often calcareous, soils. On the coast it is found on sea-cliffs, shingle and sand dunes. It is increasing as an alien on roadsides. Generally lowland, but reaching 945 m (Ben Lawers, Mid Perth).

Flowers

Flower from Kynance Cove on 19 May

Form

Flower

Flowers

Foliage

Flower from Kynance Cove on 19 May

Flowers from Kynance Cove in Cornwall on 19 May

Flower Bud from Kynance Cove on 19 May

Large Lizard Clover

Trifolium incarnatum subsp. molinerii

May-June

A winter-annual of schists, but not serpentine soils, on cliff-slopes in open habitats that are severely droughted in the summer. It has occurred as a casual at ports. Lowland and strictly maritime, only occurring within 200 m of the sea.

Flower from Cadgwith on 27 May

Flowers from Cadgwith on 27 May

Flower from Cadgwith on 27 May

Flower from Cadgwith on 27 May

Foliage from Cadgwith on 27 May

Foliage from Cadgwith on 27 May

Form from Cadwith in Cornwall on 27 May

Least Birdsfoot Trefoil

(Same as Slender Bird's-foot-trefoil on Page 3)

Lotus angustissimus

May-August

An annual of thin, drought-prone soils on sea-cliffs, growing around rock outcrops, on sunny banks by tracks and footpaths, and in open areas amongst scrub. In Devon, it occurs in similar habitats inland. The outlying sites in Hampshire and Kent are associated with sand- and gravel-workings. It often grows with L. subbiflorus. Lowland.

Flower

Seed Pods

Foliage

Foliage

Seed Pod

Form

Lesser Birdsfoot Trefoil

(Same as Least Birdsfoot Trefoil above)

Lotus hispidus

(Lotus angustissimus)

June-September

An annual of thin, drought-prone soils on sea-cliffs, growing around rock outcrops, on sunny banks by tracks and footpaths, and in open areas amongst scrub. In Devon, it occurs in similar habitats inland. The outlying sites in Hampshire and Kent are associated with sand- and gravel-workings. It often grows with L. subbiflorus. Lowland.

Orange Bird's-foot

Ornithopus pinnatus

May onwards

An annual found on dry heaths and heathy grassland, around granite cairns, in consolidated dune turf and in disturbed areas such as gardens and bulb-fields with sandy soil. Inland it is a rare casual of docks and waste ground. Lowland.

Flower in May

Flowers in May

Foliage in May

Seed Pods

Flower Buds

Foliage in May

Form in May

Seed Pods in June

Purple Milk-Vetch

(Locoweed)

Astragalus danicus

May-July

A perennial herb of short unimproved turf on well-drained calcareous soils, predominantly on chalk and limestone, but also on sand dunes and machair. In Scotland, it also grows on Old Red Sandstone sea-cliffs and on mica-schist. 0-710 m (Meall an Daimh, E. Perth).

Flower in May

Flowers in May

Form in May

Flower in May

Flowers from Suffolk in May

Flowers in May

Flowers

Foliage in May

Flower Buds

Purple Mountain Milk-Vetch

Oxytropis halleri

May-June

A perennial herb found on mountain rock ledges and grassy slopes on Dalradian limestone and schists, and on base-rich sandstone sea-cliffs and calcareous sand dunes. The larger populations occur at coastal sites in Sutherland. From sea level at Bettyhill (W. Sutherland) to 760 m on Ben Vrackie (E. Perth).

Flower from Betty Hill on 25 June

Flowers from Betty Hill on 25 June

Foliage from Betty Hill on 25 June

Flower from Betty Hill on 25 June

Form from Betty Hill in Sutherland on 25 June

Form in June

Red Clover

(Clover Mammoth Red)

Trifolium pratense

May onwards

A perennial herb, native in a wide range of grasslands other than on the most acidic soils, and also common in waste places. The map includes the large, agriculturally selected variants (var. sativum) that are extensively sown into stubble and as components of short-term leys. 0-850 m (Scottish Highlands).

Flower in June

Flower with its Foliage

Form from North Yorkshire in June

Shuttle is landing with Pink Parachute!!

Foliage from North Yorkshire in June

Foliage from North Yorkshire in June

Rough Clover

Trifolium scabrum

May-June

A winter-annual of thin, infertile, drought-prone soils over limestone, sand and gravel; by the sea also in summer-parched cliff-top grasslands. It grows in similar habitats to T. striatum, and frequently grows with it, but tends to occupy rockier, drier and more strongly leached (acidic) microsites. Inland, it is also found on road verges. Lowland.

Flower from Kynance Cove on 25 May

Flower Buds from Pagham on 29 May

Form from Pagham in Sussex on 29 May

Flower from Kynance Cove on 25 May

Flower Buds from Kynance Cove on 25 May

Foliage from Chesil Beach on 11 August

Foliage from Chesil Beach on 11 August

Form from Kynance Cove on 25 May

Seeds from Sandwich on 28 August

Sainfoin

Onobrychis viciifolia

June onwards

A perennial herb which occurs in a dwarf form in unimproved chalk grassland. Robust alien variants are found on grassy banks, roadsides and by tracks on chalk and less often on other calcareous soils. They can be abundant on newly sown roadsides. Generally lowland, reaching 335 m near Taddington (Derbys.).

Flower from Queensdown Warren on 21 June

Foliage from Queensdown Warren in July

Form from Bluebell Hill in July

Flower from Queensdown Warren on 21 June

Flowers from Queensdown Warren

Flowers from Queensdown Warren on 6 June

Flowers from Queensdown Warren in Kent on 5 June

Flower Buds from Queensdown Warren

Seed Pods