Amorpha ouachitensis
Amorpha canescens
Ouachita false indigo, Ouachita false indigo or indigo-bush
lead plant
smooth, sparsely gland-dotted, pilosulous or glabrous.
finely striate longitudinally, sparsely gland-dotted or eglandular, usually canescent becoming glabrate, rarely glabrous.
7–23 cm;
stipules lanceolate, 3–4 mm, eglandular, glabrous except with villous tuft apically;
petiole 10–17 mm, gland-dotted, sparsely pubescent to
(3–)6–12(–15) cm;
stipules linear to linear-lanceolate or setaceous, (1.2–)2–3(–3.5) mm, eglandular, canescent abaxially, glabrous adaxially;
petiole 0.5–3(–5) mm, eglandular, tomentose to canescent;
rachis eglandular, tomentose to canescent or puberulent;
leaflets (11–)27–41(–49), stipels acicular, (0.5–)0.8–1.2 mm, petiolule 0.5–1(–1.8) mm, usually eglandular, usually canescent to pilose, blade usually elliptic to oblong or ovate, rarely ovate to suborbiculate, (3–)10–18(–25) × (2–)4–7(–12) mm, base truncate or round to subcordate, margins sometimes slightly revolute, entire, apex round to obtuse or emarginate, surfaces usually canescent to velutinous, rarely glabrous;
midvein terminated by a slender mucro, (0.2–)0.4–0.8(–1.2) mm.
(1–)5–20(–30+)-branched, (2–)7–15(–25) cm;
rachis sparsely gland-dotted, sparsely pilose to pubescent;
bracteoles linear to narrowly lanceolate, (2.5–)3–4(–4.5) mm, eglandular, pilose abaxially, glabrous adaxially.
(0.4–)0.5–1.2(–1.5) mm, eglandular, sparsely pilose to pubescent.
calyx tube turbinate to somewhat campanulate, (1.5–)1.8–2(–2.5) mm, inconspicuously gland-dotted, usually densely pubescent, rarely glabrous or glabrate;
lobes triangular to narrowly lanceolate, (0.6–)1–1.5(–1.8) mm;
banner bright violet, broadly obcordate, 4.5–6 × 2.5–4 mm, distinctly clawed, margins entire or finely erose;
filaments 6–8 mm, connate basally 1.5–2 mm;
anthers yellowish to golden brown;
ovary densely pilose.
stipitate, (3–)3.5–4.5(–5) × 2–3.5 mm, margins curved outward abaxially, straight adaxially, at least distal 1/2–2/3 gland-dotted, usually villous, rarely glabrous.
olive brown, 2–2.8 × 1–1.4 mm, smooth.
= 20.
Amorpha ouachitensis
Amorpha canescens
glabrate or glabrous; rachis sparsely gland-dotted, sparsely puberulent or glabrous; leaflets (7–)9–13(–17), stipels acicular, 1.2–2.2 mm, petiolule 2–3(–4) mm, usually sparsely gland-dotted, rarely eglandular, pilosulous to glabrate or glabrous, blade broadly elliptic to broadly oblong, (12–)25–40(–70) × (9–)15–25(–35) mm, base round, margins flat, entire or slightly crenulate, apex often emarginate, sometimes round to truncate, surfaces gland-dotted, puberulent to glabrate or glabrous; midvein terminated by a swollen mucro, 0.2–0.6 mm. Racemes 1–4-branched, (8–)10–20 cm; rachis sparsely gland-dotted or eglandular, puberulent or glabrous; bracteoles narrowly oblong, 1–1.5 mm, glabrous except margin stiffly hairy. Pedicels 1–1.5 mm, eglandular, puberulent to glabrate or glabrous. Flowers: calyx tube narrowly conical to funnelform, 2.8–3.2 mm, distal 1/4 not obviously gland-dotted, puberulent to glabrate or glabrous; lobes mostly round, 0.4–0.9(–1.2) mm; banner purple, obcordate, 5–7.5 × 4.5–6 mm, not clawed, margins entire, apex emarginate; filaments 8–10 mm, connate basally 3–6 mm; anthers yellow; ovary usually glabrous. Legumes sessile, 7–9 × 3–4 mm, margins curved outward abaxially, straight or sharply bent adaxially, at least distal 1/2 gland-dotted, usually glabrous. Seeds dark brownish to blackish, 4–5 × 2.5–3 mm, smooth.
Amorpha ouachitensis is listed as a species of concern by the states of Arkansas and Oklahoma; it is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
The common name of Amorpha canescens stems from a historical, misguided belief that its occurrence indicated the presence of lead. It is a palatable range plant and thus subject to intensive grazing pressure; in some mowed fields, meadows, and pastures, the plant often appears as an herbaceous perennial. The Bureau of Land Management considers A. canescens to be a sensitive species in Montana, where it is presumed to be extirpated. Hybrids between A. canescens and A. fruticosa, named A. × notha E. J. Palmer, are rare. Amorpha canescens is a species of concern in Arkansas, where it is at the edge of its range; it is not rare, in general, being one of the most often cultivated species of Amorpha.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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