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savanna false indigo or indigo-bush

Georgia false indigo, Georgia false indigo or indigo-bush

Habit Shrubs, 0.3–1.4 m; arising from compact, woody root. Shrubs, 0.3–1.2 m; arising from compact, woody root.
Stems

finely longitudinally grooved and ridged, gland-dotted, strigulose to glabrate.

finely longitudinally grooved and ridged, gland-dotted, sparsely puberulent or glabrous.

Leaves

(8–)12–20(–26) cm;

stipules sometimes persistent, linear or setaceous, (1–)1.5–2(–2.5) mm;

petiole (6–)8–15(–20) mm, gland-dotted, puberulent or glabrous;

rachis sparsely gland-dotted, puberulent or glabrous;

leaflets (11–)15–31(–35), stipels acicular or setaceous, 0.8–1.8 mm, petiolule 0.7–1.5(–1.8) mm, gland-dotted, mostly puberulent or glabrous, blade elliptic to oblong or ovate to suborbiculate, (10–)15–25(–35) × (7–)9–15(–18) mm, base truncate or round to subcordate, margins usually revolute, entire or inconspicuously crenulate, apex round to obtuse or emarginate, surfaces sparsely to conspicuously gland-dotted, usually glabrous or glabrate, sometimes sparsely pubescent abaxially;

midvein terminated by a slender mucro, (0.2–)0.4–1 mm.

(3–)6–15(–18) cm;

stipules sometimes persistent, linear or setaceous, (1–)1.5–2(–2.5) mm;

petiole 1–3(–5) mm, gland-dotted, puberulent or glabrous;

rachis sparsely gland-dotted, puberulent or glabrous;

leaflets (11–)15–43(–47), stipels acicular or setaceous, 0.8–1.8 mm, petiolule 0.7–1.5(–1.8) mm, gland-dotted, mostly puberulent or glabrous, blade elliptic to oblong or, at least terminal leaflet, ovate to suborbiculate, (3–)6–10(–21) × (2–)3–6(–12) mm, base truncate or round to subcordate, margins usually revolute, entire or inconspicuously crenulate, apex round to obtuse or emarginate, surfaces usually glabrous or glabrate, sometimes sparsely pubescent;

midvein terminated by a slender mucro, (0.2–)0.4–1 mm.

Racemes

(1–)3–5(–8)-branched, 10–20(–30) cm;

rachis sparsely gland-dotted, puberulent;

bracteoles linear to narrowly subulate, 1.5–2.5(–3) mm, usually eglandular, sparsely pubescent or sparsely ciliate.

usually unbranched, (2–)5–20(–30) cm, rarely with 2–4 lateral branches, these (2–)3–5(–6) cm;

rachis sparsely gland-dotted, often glabrous, sometimes puberulent;

bracteoles linear to narrowly subulate, 1.5–2.5(–3) mm, usually eglandular, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, margins often ciliate.

Pedicels

0.4–1 mm, eglandular, sparsely pubescent.

0.4–1 mm, eglandular, glabrous or glabrate.

Flowers

calyx tube turbinate to narrowly campanulate or cylindric, 1.7–2.2 mm, distal 1/3–2/3 rarely gland-dotted, glabrous;

lobes: abaxial lobe acuminate, slightly longer, adaxial lobes triangular to acuminate, 0.4–1.2(–1.5) mm, margins densely ciliate;

banner bright blue, broadly obovate to obcordate, (4–)5–6 × 3–3.5(–4) mm, distinctly clawed, margins entire or finely erose;

filaments 5–8 mm, distinct;

anthers yellow;

ovary pubescent.

calyx tube turbinate to narrowly campanulate or cylindric, 1.7–2.2 mm, distal 1/3–2/3 rarely gland-dotted, glabrous;

lobes triangular to acuminate, 0.4–1.2(–1.5) mm, densely ciliate;

banner usually reddish purple, rarely lavender, broadly obovate to obcordate, (4–)5–6 × 3–3.5(–4) mm, distinctly clawed, margins entire or finely erose;

filaments 5–8 mm, distinct;

anthers yellow;

ovary pubescent.

Legumes

sessile or stipitate, 4–5.5 × 2–2.5 mm, margins curved outward abaxially, straight adaxially, at least distal 1/2–2/3 gland-dotted, glabrous.

stipitate, 4–5.5 × 2–2.5 mm, margins curved outward abaxially, straight adaxially, at least distal 1/2–2/3 gland-dotted, glabrous.

Seeds

olive brown or brown, 2–2.3 × 1–1.5 mm, smooth, lustrous.

usually olive green, sometimes olive-tan, 2–2.3 × 1–1.3 mm, smooth, lustrous.

Amorpha confusa

Amorpha georgiana

Phenology Flowering (May–)Jun–Jul. Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat Pine woodlands, savannas, and road banks in outer Atlantic Coastal Plain. Sandy river terraces in woods, sometimes bordering moist thickets on the middle and inner Atlantic Coastal Plain.
Elevation 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.) 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
NC; Pine woodlands; savannas; and road banks in outer Atlantic Coastal Plain
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
GA; NC; SC; Sandy river terraces in woods; sometimes bordering moist thickets on the middle and inner Atlantic Coastal Plain
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Amorpha confusa is known presently only from Brunswick and Columbus counties; it is believed to be extirpated in adjacent South Carolina. The taxon is a Federal species of concern and is listed as threatened in North Carolina. It is usually encountered growing in loamy soils, most often of the Foreston soil series.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Amorpha georgiana is a Federal species of concern and is listed as endangered by the states of Georgia and North Carolina, and as a species of concern by South Carolina. Only about 900 individuals are known, most in and around the Fort Bragg Military Reservation in North Carolina (B. A. Sorrie 1995; V. M. Miller 2004). Amorpha georgiana is distributed from south-central and southeastern North Carolina to central Georgia; reports from southern Georgia (Echols County) are erroneous, based on misidentification of material of A. herbacea var. floridana.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Amorpha Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Amorpha
Sibling taxa
A. californica, A. canescens, A. crenulata, A. fruticosa, A. georgiana, A. glabra, A. herbacea, A. laevigata, A. nana, A. nitens, A. ouachitensis, A. paniculata, A. roemeriana, A. schwerinii
A. californica, A. canescens, A. confusa, A. crenulata, A. fruticosa, A. glabra, A. herbacea, A. laevigata, A. nana, A. nitens, A. ouachitensis, A. paniculata, A. roemeriana, A. schwerinii
Synonyms A. georgiana var. confusa
Name authority (Wilbur) S. C. K. Straub: Sorrie & Weakley, J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 3: 154. (2009) Wilbur: Rhodora 56: 261, figs. 1–6. (1954)
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