About Hosackia gracilis Benth.
Hosackia gracilis Benth. is a legume species that also goes by the scientific synonym Lotus formosissimus. It is native to western North America, ranging from British Columbia south through Washington and Oregon to California. George Bentham was the botanist who first formally described this species. Its two common names are harlequin lotus and seaside bird's-foot trefoil. This plant grows in moist locations, from coastal mountains down to oceanside bluffs. It is a perennial herb that grows upright or spreads, reaching a maximum length of around 0.5 meters. Its stems are lined with leaves, each composed of a small number of oppositely arranged oval leaflets that grow up to 2 centimeters long. Its inflorescence holds several pea-like flowers, each measuring 1 to 2 centimeters in length. Each flower has a bright yellow upper petal called a banner, and bright pink or white lower petals. The fruit it produces is a legume pod that is 2 to 3 centimeters long. On the Mendocino coast, it is believed that caterpillars of the critically endangered lotis blue butterfly, which has the taxonomic synonyms Lycaeides idas lotis, Lycaeides argyrognomon lotis, and Plebejus anna lotis, feed on Hosackia gracilis in damp coastal prairies.
