Greater Bird's-foot-trefoil

An perennial and usually hairy plant of damp grassland, Lotus pedunculatus typically grows to a height of between 30 and 50cm. Its clusters of bright-yellow (or sometimes yellow tinged with orange) pea-like flowers are very similar to those of Common Bird's-foot Trefoil, Lotus corniculatus; however, Greater Bird's-foot Trefoil has clusters of as many as 12 individual flowers and hollow stems, whereas Common Bird's-foot Trefoil has 3 to 7 flowers in individual clusters on each solid stem. Individual flowers are 10-12 mm long and are carried in racemes on erect stems. Each flower has five petals, although that is not immediately obvious; one petals stands upright, two more form the wings, and a further two smaller petals are united to form what is known as a keel.
The pinnate leaves have five leaflets which are dark bluish green on top and greyish beneath. (Stems are hollow, not solid, and this is an important identifying feature.)