Common Bird's-foot Trefoil
Lotus corniculatus
The modest and tiny Bird's-foot Trefoil is a native perennial and has a multitude of local names; over 70 have been counted. Many of these names, including bacon and eggs, refer to the variegated colours of the flowers as they are opening, which are a deep yolk-yellow or orange, often streaked with red. Some of the names describe the shape of the flower, such as Dutchman's clogs' and lady's slippers' in that they resemble old fashioned slippers or shoes. The long seed-pods, which look very similar to claws, have given the plant other names, including 'granny's toenails'and Devil's fingers'. The plant is a member of the pea family and spreads along the ground and is normally found in grassy fields, pastures, scrub and along roadsides and embankments. From June to September attractive double yellow, fan-shaped clusters of pea-like flowers appear. The flowers are succeeded by a fan of long, narrow black peapods that resemble a bird's foot.