There is a plant that is sprouting on almost every square foot of soil that was recently cleared of brush for fire season. It sure looks like some kind of broom to me, but it doesn't seem to quite match any of the descriptions exactly. It's definitely not Spanish broom as I can recognize that stuff from space.
What would be the best way to distinguish scottish broom from Lotus scoparius? It seems like they both leaf in threes, have yellow flowers, and arrive on a site after disturbance.
Hi, not sure , but the stems in your photo look to be 4-5 sided. Apparently the older flowers turn reddish on the Lotus.
Looks like Lotus scoparius to me. Dissect a few flowers. in brooms and lupines the filaments of all ten stamens will be fused; in Lotus and most pea family nine will be fused but the top stamen will be free.
