Amorpha glabra |
Amorpha nana |
|
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Appalachian indigo-bush, mountain false indigo |
dwarf false indigo, dwarf indigo, dwarf indigobush |
|
Habit | Shrubs, 1–2 m; arising from compact, woody root. | Shrubs, (0.1–)0.3–0.6(–1) m; usually rhizomatous. |
Stems | smooth, sparsely gland-dotted or eglandular, usually glabrous, sometimes glabrate. |
finely longitudinally grooved and ridged, gland-dotted, strigulose to 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. |
(1.5–)3–7(–10) cm; stipules linear or setaceous, (2–)3–5(–6.5) mm; petiole (2–)4–8(–10) mm, usually gland-dotted, mostly strigulose, sometimes glabrous; rachis gland-dotted, puberulent or glabrous; leaflets (7–)13–27(–41), stipels acicular, (1–)1.5–2.5(–3) mm, petiolule 0.7–1 mm, gland-dotted, especially abaxially, mostly pubescent to glabrate, blade usually elliptic to oblong or ovate, rarely obovate to suborbiculate, (2–)6–13(–18) × (2–)3–6(–8) mm, base mostly round, margins usually somewhat revolute, entire or inconspicuously crenulate, apex round to truncate or emarginate, surfaces glabrous, margins puberulent; midvein usually terminated by a slender mucro, (0.6–)0.8–1.2(–1.5) 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. |
unbranched, (2–)3–7(–9) cm; rachis eglandular, usually puberulent; bracteoles linear to narrowly spatulate, (2.5–)3–4(–5) mm, eglandular, puberulent. |
Pedicels | (0.8–)1–2.5(–3) mm, eglandular, usually glabrous. |
1–2(–2.5) mm, eglandular, usually puberulent. |
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. |
calyx tube turbinate, (1.5–)1.8–2(–2.2) mm, at least distal 1/2 gland-dotted, glabrous; lobes triangular to narrowly lanceolate, (0.8–)1–2(–2.2) mm; banner dark reddish purple, broadly obcordate, 4.5–6 × 3.5–4.5 mm, distinctly clawed, margins finely erose, apex emarginate; filaments 6–8 mm, connate basally 0.5–1 mm; anthers purplish; 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. |
sessile, 4.5–5.5 × 2–2.8 mm, margins curved outward abaxially, straight adaxially, at least distal 2/3 gland-dotted, glabrous. |
Seeds | not seen. |
olive brown, 2.5–3 × 1–1.5 mm, reticulate. |
2n | = 20. |
|
Amorpha glabra |
Amorpha nana |
|
Phenology | Flowering May–Jul. | Flowering May–Jul. |
Habitat | Dry to moist thickets and woods, pine-oak heath ridges. | Prairies, hillsides, buttes, sandy soils, clay soils if well-drained, in prairies, prairies on shale slopes, usually calcareous soils. |
Elevation | (30–)400–1200 m. ((100–)1300–3900 ft.) | 200–2200 m. (700–7200 ft.) |
Distribution |
AL; GA; NC; SC; TN
|
CO; IA; KS; MN; ND; NE; NM; OK; SD; MB
|
Discussion | Amorpha glabra is listed as a species of concern in South Carolina. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Amorpha nana is listed as threatened by the state of Iowa; it is encountered more commonly in the northern and western parts of its range. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 11. | FNA vol. 11. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | A. microphylla | |
Name authority | Desfontaines ex Persoon: Syn. Pl. 2: 295. (1807) | Nuttall: Cat. Pl. Upper Louisiana, no. 5. (1813) |
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