Anthyllis vulneraria, L.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1981, Flora Europaea. Volume 2. Rosaceae to Umbelliferae, Cambridge University Press : 179-180

15. A. vulneraria L. , Sp. Pl. 719 (1753).

Annual, biennial or perennial. Lowermost leaves reduced to a terminal leaflet, or imparipinnate with a much larger terminal leaflet; upper leaves imparipinnate, equifoliolate or not. Heads many-flowered, subtended by 2 palmatisect bracts borne close beneath the flowers. Calyx inflated at anthesis, constricted at the apex, with 5 unequal teeth and the mouth oblique. Corolla yellow, red, purple, orange, whitish or parti-coloured. Legume l(-2)-seeded. Throughout Europe. All except Az Sb.. A very polymorphic species divisible into about 30 infraspecific taxa (many of them frequently recognized as species), between which intermediates occur, often over a large area. 24 of these taxa occur in Europe, and they are recognized as subspecies below. They fall into 2 fairly distinct groups ((a)-(r) and (s)-(x) below). The occurrence of intermediates often makes identification difficult and many specimens can be identified only by comparison with herbarium specimens.

The term bract refers only to the large outer bracts of each inflorescence. Leaves on the vegetative stems or rosettes are referred to as the lowest leaves.

1 Calyx 2—4(—5) mm wide, the lateral teeth small, appressed to the upper teeth (often only visible when fresh); bract-lobes narrowly deltate, acute; upper cauline leaves equifoliolate

2 Indumentum of stems composed entirely of patent hairs

3 Calyx 7-10 mm; plant delicate; stems 6-15 cm

(k) subsp. vulnerarioides 3 Calyx (10—)11—13 mm; plant robust; stems 20-25 cm

4 Leaves confined to the lower part of the stem, fleshy, glabrous above (r) subsp. corbierei 4 Leaves evenly distributed along the stem, thin, sparsely hairy above (q) subsp. hispidissima 2 Indumentum of stems with at least some appressed hairs 5Indumentum of calyx evenly appressed, shining

6 Calyx 14-17 mm; leaves ±evenly distributed along the stem (p) subsp. maura 6 Calyx 10—13-5(—14) mm; leaves confined to the lower part of the stem

7 Lower cauline leaves inequifoliolate, with 1-3 leaflets; calyx (11—)12—13-5(—14) mm (n) subsp. praepropera 7 Lower cauline leaves subequifoliolate, with 7-11 leaflets; calyx 10-12 mm (o) subsp. weldeniana 5Indumentum of calyx patent or semipatent, never shining

8 Bracts divided for more than | of their total length, usually as long as or longer than the calyces

9 Leaves evenly distributed along the stem

10 Calyx red at apex, weakly semipatent-hairy; stems thin,

not woody at the base; lower cauline leaves subequifoliolate (a) subsp. vulneraria 10 Calyx concolorous, strongly patent-hairy; stems usually woody at the base; lower cauline leaves markedly inequifoliolate

11 Hairs on the lower part of the stem patent; stems ascending to erect (c) subsp. polyphylla 11 All cauline hairs appressed; stems decumbent

(b) subsp. maritima 9 Leaves confined to the lower part of the stem

12 Calyx 7-9 mm; plants small, delicate, with stems

10-15(-20) cm

13 Lower cauline leaves subequifoliolate with 5—9(—11)

leaflets (k) subsp. vulnerarioides 13 Lower cauline leaves inequifoliolate with 1-5 leaflets

(f) subsp. pulchella 12 Calyx 10-13 mm; plants tall, robust, with stems 20-

40 cm

14 Calyx 10-11 mm; lower cauline leaves inequifoliolate

15 Bracts exceeding the flowers; calyx concolorous

(d) subsp. bulgarica 15 Bracts shorter than the flowers; calyx red at apex

(e) subsp. boissieri 14 Calyx 11-17 mm; lower cauline leaves equifoliolate

16 Calyx 11-13 mm; red at apex (I) subsp. forondae 16 Calyx 14-17 mm, concolorous (m) subsp. pindicola 8 Bracts divided to | or less, usually shorter than the calyces

17 Leaflets of rosette and lower cauline leaves broadly elliptical to orbicular, very densely silvery-sericeous above, obscuring the green colour of the leaf

(h) subsp. argyrophylla 17 Leaflets of rosette and lower cauline leaves narrower, glabrous above, or if hairy, then the hairs grey but not obscuring the green colour of the leaf

18 Leaves confined to the lower part of the stem; stems stiff, ascending to erect, robust (i) subsp. reuteri 18 Leaves mostly at the base of the thin, flexuous stems; plants decumbent, delicate

19 Calyx 5-7(-8) mm; lower cauline leaves obviously inequifoliolate; rosette-leaves usually reduced to the terminal leaflet (g) subsp. arundana 19 Calyx 8-10 mm; lower cauline leaves subequifoliolate;

rosette-leaves usually with 3-5 leaflets

(j) subsp. atlantis 1 Calyx (4-5—)5—7 mm wide, the lateral teeth obvious, not appressed to the upper; bract-lobes parallel-sided, obtuse; upper cauline leaves inequifoliolate

20 Calyx appressed-sericeous

21 Plants much-branched, with branches from most axils; calyx-indumentum dense; stem- and leaf-indumentum canescent (v) subsp. iberica 21 Plants without axillary branches; calyx-indumentum sparse; stem- and leaf-indumentum inconspicuous, not canescent

22 Calyx red at apex; corolla red to pink; plant decumbent

(u) subsp. pyrenaica 22 Calyx concolorous, white; corolla yellow; plant ascending to erect (s) subsp. carpatica 20 Calyx ± patent-villous to -hirsute

23 Calyx (12—)13—15(—18) mm, with smoke-grey indumentum

(t) subsp. alpestris 23 Calyx 9-12 mm, with white indumentum

24 Stems 10-15 cm; sinus between upper calyx-teeth wide, obvious (x) subsp. borealis 24 Stems 15-40 cm; sinus between upper calyx-teeth narrow, obscure (w) subsp. lapponica