Hosackia rosea
Hosackia rosea, synonym Lotus aboriginus, is a species of legume native to North America.[1] It is known by the common names rosy bird's-foot trefoil and thicket trefoil. It grows in mountains and canyons, often in moist areas. It is a perennial herb lined with leaves each made up of pairs of oval leaflike leaflets 1 to 3 cm long. The inflorescence is a spray of six to 10 white or pink flowers each about 1 cm long. The flower is somewhat tubular, encased at the base in a calyx of sepals and lobed at the mouth. The fruit is a hairless elongated legume pod 3–5 cm long.
| Hosackia rosea | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Genus: | Hosackia |
| Species: | H. rosea |
| Binomial name | |
| Hosackia rosea Eastw.[1] | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
It is believed that Hosackia rosea could be a potential host plant for the caterpillars of the critically endangered lotis blue butterfly (syn. Lycaeides idas lotis, Lycaeides argyrognomon lotis, Plebejus anna lotis).[2]
References
- "Hosackia rosea Eastw.", Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2018-02-05
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "Lotis blue butterfly (Lycaeides argyrognomon lotis) 5-Year Review" (PDF). Retrieved 2022-01-14.