Ornithopus sativus
| Ornithopus sativus | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Ornithopus sativus (common name: serradella)
Propagation: Seed
Cultivation: This species is occasionally cultivated as a green manure crop[1].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[2].
Range: South-western Europe. Naturalized in south-west Britain.
Habitat: Along the sides of roads and as a weed of cultivated ground[3]. Naturalized on china clay waste in south-eastern Cornwall.
Usage: A good green manure crop, fixing atmospheric nitrogen and forming a good weed-excluding ground cover[4].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.