Scientific Family
Fabaceae
Synonyms
Acmispon maritimus
Other common names
humble trefoil
maresfat
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Annual
Height
4 to 12 inches
Riparian
No
Stems clustered, trail along the ground or ascend; often fleshy, very small to robust plants, without hairs or with straight, stiff, sharp, appressed hairs; leaves pinnate, leaflets 3 to 8; flowers yellow, typical pea flower of banner, wings and keel.
Annual, stems trail 4 to 12 inches; herbage with fine, stiff straight pressed hairs; leaves pinnate, leaflets 3 to 8; stipules generally not apparent; flowers yellow, stalked, solitary or in small clusters, wings about as long as the keel.
Habitat
Desert scrub, dry hills and mesas.
Plant Community
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
0
High elevation
3000
Flower Characteristics
1 to 5 flowered rounded clusters; flowers about 1/2 inch wide, have banner, wings and keel; wings narrow at their base; sepals shorter than the flower tube; stamens 10, 9 stamen filaments fused, 1 free.
Flower color
Yellow
Flower shape
Irregular
Tubular
Yes
First bloom month
February
Last bloom month
May
Flower clusters
Rounded
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Leaves are irregularly pinnate (have terminal leaflets); stipules generally not apparent; leaflets 3 to 8, 1/4 inch wide or less, rounded; terminal leaflet is the largest. Stems and leaves may or may not be hairy.
Leaf type
Compound
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Round or oval
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Pods split apart when mature, generally 1/2 to 1 inch long, narrowly oblong, often curved; shaved narrow points, bent like a hook.
Fruit type
Pod
Seeds few to many, often kidney-shaped, generally hard, smooth.