Common Bird's-foot-trefoil, Greater Bird's-foot-trefoil, Meadow Vetchling

All these plants are native, found near Monmouth and are in the Fabaceae family.

Common Bird's-foot-trefoil, Lotus corniculatus

Common Bird's-foot-trefoil, Lotus corniculatus is a very common wild flower with over 70 folk names recorded in Grigson's Englishman's Flora. They refer to the shape of the flower as in Grandmother's Slippers (Hampshire), Lady's Boots (Devon) and the seed pods which resemble birds' feet as in Bird's Claws (Devon), Dead Man's Fingers (Hampshire) and Devil's Claws (Somerset). It will be noted that as with so many folk names there are positive and negative names. Many names are neutral, however, especially those concerned with colour: Rosy Morn and Eggs-and-bacon (Somerset).

The flowers, of course, are yellow to orange, sometimes streaked red, and in clusters at the end of long stalks. Importantly, the stems are solid. This one was in a hill top meadow.

Greater Bird's-foot-trefoil, Lotus pedunculatus

I noticed this plant sprawling near a stream on a wet woodland ride. The stems are much longer than in the Common Bird's-foot-trefoil. The calyx teeth curve out and down in the bud with the upper two calyx teeth straight or curling outwards. The flower lacks the red tones. This plant is quite hairy.

 

Very importantly the lower stems are hollow. Thanks must go to @Barbus59 who posted Greater Bird's-foot-trefoil on Twitter a few days ago with this ID tip. Without this information, I certainly wouldn't have investigated.

Meadow Vetchling, Lathyrus pratensis

A plant that comes with some great folk names: Mouse Pea in Donegal and Old Granny's Slipper-sloppers in Dorset.

The leaves are cut into a single pair of leaflets, lanceolate and sharply pointed. It is scrambling here through use of tendrils along the edge of a woodland ride.The stipules can just be seen and are large and leaf-like. 

The stems are square but not winged.

I am going to try to organise more wildflower blog posts into family or habitat groups but it does depend on what I find! Serendipity. However common they are, I think they are all beautiful and with natives in particular, I like to think of people seeing and appreciating these plants throughout the centuries.

Acknowledgements

Harrap's Wild Flowers, Stace 4, Grigson The Englishman's Flora, Richard Mabey Flora Britannica