Ornithopus L.
Herbs. Lvs imparipinnate, stipulate; leaflets numerous, entire, with lateral veins not reaching the margin. Infl. axillary, capitate or umbellate, long-pedunculate; head subtended by a leafy bract or with minute bracts and bracteoles. Calyx tubular or campanulate; calyx teeth 5, subequal or the upper 2 somewhat connate. Corolla white, pink or yellow, sometimes with red or pink stripes. Vexillary stamen free, remainder connate; anthers uniform. Style inflexed; stigma capitate. Pod lomentaceous, compressed or subterete, curved or straight, veined or smooth, indehiscent, constricted or not between segments; seeds oblong.
Key
1
Heads with minute scale-like bracts only; pod cylindric, not constricted between seeds, glabrous
Head subtended by a leafy pinnate bract; pod compressed, constricted between seeds, hairy when young
6 spp., Europe, Mediterranean, W. Asia, Macaronesia, southern S. America. Naturalised spp. 3.
![Fig. 67. Pods of Ornithopus. A O. perpusillus; B O. pinnatus. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X5T]](https://data.landcareresearch.co.nz/Image/4X5T/SysPortalPreview)
