''Hippocrepis emerus'', the scorpion senna, is a species of

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

plant belonging to the genus ''

Hippocrepis ''Hippocrepis'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It includes 34 species native to Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. Etymology The name "Hippocrepis" comes from the Greek for "horse" () and for "shoe" (): ...

'' in the family

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

Description

''Hippocrepis emerus'' reaches on average of height, with a maximum of . The plant has a lignified stem with green branches bearing five to nine leaflets. These leaves are glossy,

obovate The following terms are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (that is, the leaf blade or 'lamina' is undivided) or compound (that is, the leaf blade is divided into two or more leaflets) ...

, and

imparipinnate Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...

, with their maximum width being above the middle and often larger extremities. The pale yellow flowers are arranged in groups of 1 to 5, and measure long. The petals are "nailed", meaning they have a long handle ("nail") and a "plate". The nails of the petals are two to three times longer than the

calyx CALYX, Inc. is a non-profit publisher of art and literature by women founded in 1976 based in Corvallis, Oregon. CALYX publishes both '' CALYX, A Journal of Art and Literature by Women'' twice a year and CALYX Books, which publishes one to three ...

. These plants are

hermaphroditic A hermaphrodite () is a sexually reproducing organism that produces both male and female gametes. Animal species in which individuals are either male or female are gonochoric, which is the opposite of hermaphroditic. The individuals of many ...

and

entomophilous Entomophily or insect pollination is a form of pollination whereby pollen of plants, especially but not only of flowering plants, is distributed by insects. Flowers pollinated by insects typically advertise themselves with bright colours, somet ...

, and their flowering period extends from April through July. Their legumes (seed pods) are oblong-cylindrical and long, with three to twelve segments.

Distribution

This plant occurs in northeastern

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

and in central

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

countries up to northern

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

and to

Asia Minor Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

and

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

Habitat

These shrubs are usually found in wooded and bushy areas, on sunny, warm and dry slopes and around forest edges. They can be found at an altitude of .

Food source

''H. emerus'' is one of the main host plants of the moth ''

Zygaena ephialtes ''Zygaena ephialtes'' is day-flying species of Zygaenidae, burnet moth found in Europe. It is typically found in xeric habitats, and populations have recently decreased. It also exhibits Müllerian mimicry with other species, like ''Nine-spotted ...

.''

Gallery

References

* Pignatti S. - Flora d'Italia - Edagricole – 1982. vol. III * Tutin, T. G., eds. 1964 -1980 - Flora europaea

External links

Biolib

Hippocrepis
emerus Flora of Italy Flora of Malta {{Loteae-stub