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Appalachian indigo-bush, mountain false indigo

Habit Shrubs, 1–2 m; arising from compact, woody root.
Stems

smooth, sparsely gland-dotted or eglandular, usually glabrous, sometimes glabrate.

Leaves

(10–)14–22(–30) cm;

stipules linear to linear-lanceolate, 2.5–4.5 mm, eglandular, slightly hairy or margins ciliate;

petiole (16–)20–40(–60) mm, sparsely gland-dotted or eglandular, glabrous or sparsely puberulent;

rachis sparsely gland-dotted, glabrous or, rarely, sparsely puberulent;

leaflets (9–)11–15(–19), stipels acicular to setaceous, 1.2–2 mm, petiolule 2–4(–5.5) mm, sparsely gland-dotted, usually glabrous, blade often elliptic to oblong, sometimes ovate to, rarely, orbiculate, (14–)20–45(–75) × (10–)14–28(–36) mm, base round to truncate or subcordate, margins slightly revolute, entire or slightly crenulate, apex obtuse to broadly round or emarginate, surfaces gland-dotted, mostly glabrous;

midvein terminated by a slightly swollen mucro, 0.2–0.4 mm.

Racemes

1–3(or 4)-branched, (5–)10–18(–28) cm;

rachis gland-dotted, usually glabrous;

bracteoles usually narrowly lanceolate, (0.5–)0.8–1.5(–2) mm, eglandular, puberulent, often ciliate.

Pedicels

(0.8–)1–2.5(–3) mm, eglandular, usually glabrous.

Flowers

calyx tube broadly turbinate to campanulate, 2–3(–3.2) mm, eglandular, glabrous except rim ciliate;

lobes obscure or developed, then rounded to broadly triangular-dentate, 0–0.6(–0.8) mm;

banner purplish, broadly obcordate, (4.5–)6–8(–8.5) × 4–6 mm, clawed, margins entire or erose;

filaments 8–11 mm, connate basally 3–4.5 mm;

anthers golden yellow to orange;

ovary glabrous.

Legumes

sessile, (6.5–)7.5–9(–10) × (2.5–)3–4(–4.5) mm, margins distinctly curved outward abaxially, straight or nearly so adaxially, at least distal 2/3 gland-dotted, glabrous.

Seeds

not seen.

Amorpha glabra

Phenology Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat Dry to moist thickets and woods, pine-oak heath ridges.
Elevation (30–)400–1200 m. ((100–)1300–3900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; GA; NC; SC; TN
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Amorpha glabra is listed as a species of concern in South Carolina.

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

Source FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Amorpha
Sibling taxa
A. californica, A. canescens, A. confusa, A. crenulata, A. fruticosa, A. georgiana, A. herbacea, A. laevigata, A. nana, A. nitens, A. ouachitensis, A. paniculata, A. roemeriana, A. schwerinii
Name authority Desfontaines ex Persoon: Syn. Pl. 2: 295. (1807)
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