Lotus (genus) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lotus |
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| Lotus corniculatus | |
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Lotus
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Lotus is a genus of the Pea family. This genus includes 125-180 species.
Uses and ecology
Lotus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species. Several species are culvivated for forage, including L. corniculatus, L. glaber, and L. pedunculatus. They can produce toxic cyanogenic glycosides which can be potentially toxic to livestock, but also produce tannins, which are a beneficial anti-bloating compound.
Species in this genus can fix nitrogen from the air courtesy of their root nodules, making them useful as a cover crop. The nodulating symbionts are Bradyrhizobium and Mesorhizobium bacteria. Scientific research for crop improvement and understanding the general biology of the genus is focused on Lotus japonicus, which is currently the subject of a full genome sequencing project, and is considered a model organism.
Some species, such as L. berthelotii from the Canary Islands, are grown as ornamental plants. L. corniculatus is an invasive species in some regions of North America and Australia.
Images for kids
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Lotus alpinus
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Lotus berthelotii
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Lotus corniculatus
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Lotus maculatus
See also
In Spanish: Lotus (planta) para niños
