Lotus maculata ‘Gold Flash’

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Fabales	Legumes (pea and bean families)
Family	Fabaceae	Legume family (peas and beans)
Genus	Lotus	Includes trefoils and deervetches, but not (ironically) lotus flowers (Lotus, from Greek, meant a fruit that made people forget their homes)
Species	maculata	Spotted, referring to purple splotches on the stems of leaves or on petals
Cultivar	‘Gold Flash’

About plant names...

Lotus maculatus is native to the Canary Islands. This species isn’t related to lotuses, which are members of genus Nelumbo. It is not found in the wild in North America.

Identification: Plants are perennials, mostly prostrate, 8-12" (20-30 cm) tall and 12-18" (30-45 cm) around. Leaves are needle-like, and silvery gray. They look a little like dewy moss. Flowers are claw-shaped, often said to resemble a parrot’s beak, orange-yellow, with red tips, and may be very dense.

Online References:

Lotus sp. in Paghat's Garden

Lotus maculata ‘Gold Flash’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species

Lotus maculata ‘Gold Flash’ on the Encyclopedia of Life

Lotus maculata ‘Gold Flash’ description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

8/1/2009 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine
≈ 27 × 18" (68 × 45 cm)

8/1/2009 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine
≈ 8 × 5" (19 × 13 cm)

Range: Zones 9b-11:

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