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panicle false indigo, panicle false indigo or indigo-bush

crenulate false indigo

Habit Shrubs or suffrutescent herbs, 1–3 m; arising from compact, woody root. Shrubs, 0.4–1(–3) m; arising from thick, horizontal rootstock.
Stems

longitudinally grooved and ridged, eglandular, mostly puberulent, canescent, or tomentose, sometimes glabrate.

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

Leaves

(10–)20–40 cm;

stipules linear, 2–3 mm, eglandular, pubescent;

petiole (20–)30–60(–90) mm, eglandular, puberulent, canescent, or tomentose;

rachis eglandular, puberulent or canescent;

leaflets (9–)11–19, stipels acicular, 1–2 mm, petiolule (2–)4–10 mm, sparsely gland-dotted, usually pilosulous proximally, glabrous distally, blade narrowly elliptic to oblong or ovate, 15–30(–50) × (14–)18–22(–26) mm, base round, margins flat, entire, apex round, surfaces sparsely gland-dotted abaxially, canescent to tomentose or glabrate abaxially, usually puberulent to glabrate or glabrous adaxially;

veins conspicuous, distinctly raised abaxially;

midvein terminated by a slender mucro, 0.5–1.8 mm.

(8–)15–25(–30) cm;

stipules mostly acicular, 1.2–2.2 mm;

petiole (3–)8–15(–18) mm, gland-dotted, sparsely puberulent or glabrous;

rachis sparsely gland-dotted, often glabrous;

leaflets (19–)23–33(–41), stipels acicular, 0.4–1.5 mm, petiolule (1–)1.5–2(–3) mm, gland-dotted, usually glabrous, blade elliptic to oblong or ovate to suborbiculate, (7–)12–25(–42) × (2.5–)5–9(–11) mm, base obtuse to round or truncate to subcordate, margins usually conspicuously revolute, crenulate, apex obtuse to round or emarginate, surfaces gland-dotted abaxially, glabrous or glabrate;

midvein terminated by a swollen mucro, 0.2–0.5 mm.

Racemes

(1–)5–12-branched, paniculiform, (5–)15–30(–40) cm;

rachis eglandular, short-pilose;

bracteoles linear, 1–2 mm, eglandular, short-pilose.

(1–)4–10-branched, (5–)10–25(–30) cm;

rachis sparsely gland-dotted, sparsely puberulent;

bracteoles linear to narrowly spatulate, 1.2–2.5 mm, gland-dotted, sparsely hairy.

Pedicels

1–2 mm, eglandular, short-pilose.

(0.5–)1–1.8(–2.2) mm, gland-dotted, sparsely puberulent.

Flowers

calyx tube funnelform, 1.8–2.2 mm, distal 1/3 gland-dotted, usually short-pilose, rarely glabrate;

lobes: abaxial lobe linear to narrowly lanceolate, adaxial lobes usually triangular to ovate, (1–)1.2–2 mm;

banner purple, broadly obcordate, 5–7 × 3–4 mm, indistinctly clawed, margins entire or slightly erose;

filaments 5–6 mm, connate basally 2.5–3 mm;

anthers orange;

ovary glabrous.

calyx tube turbinate to narrowly campanulate, (2–)2.2–3.2(–3.5) mm, distal 1/2 often gland-dotted, glabrous or glabrate;

lobes: abaxial lobe narrowly triangular, slightly longer, adaxial lobes triangular or obtuse, 0.8–1.8(–2) mm;

banner violet or white, broadly obcordate, (4.5–)5–6(–7) × 3–4.5 mm, distinctly clawed, margins entire or finely erose;

filaments 6–9 mm, distinct;

anthers yellowish;

ovary glabrous.

Legumes

sessile, 4–6(–8) × 2–2.5 mm, margins curved outward abaxially, bent outward adaxially, gland-dotted, glabrous.

sessile, 4–6.5 × 1.8–2.5 mm, margins strongly curved outward abaxially, straight to slightly arched adaxially, distal 2/3 gland-dotted, glabrous.

Seeds

reddish brown, 3–3.5 × 1.5–1.8 mm, smooth.

not seen.

Amorpha paniculata

Amorpha crenulata

Phenology Flowering May–Jun. Flowering Feb–Aug(–Nov).
Habitat Moist, acid thickets, bogs, and swamps. Rocky margins of pine woodlands and coastal prairies of the Miami Rock Ridge.
Elevation 10–300 m. (0–1000 ft.) 0–10 m. (0–0 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; LA; OK; TX
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL
Discussion

Amorpha paniculata is listed as threatened in Arkansas and as a species of concern in Oklahoma.

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

Amorpha crenulata is restricted to the Miami Rock Ridge of southeastern Florida, where about 350 individuals remain in four populations confined to Miami-Dade County. Conservation measures for this species, including an ex situ collection, restored populations, and seed bank, are overseen by Fairchild Tropical Garden in Coral Gables (for example, J. Roncal et al. 2006; K. S. Wendelberger et al. 2007).

Amorpha crenulata is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants; as A. herbacea var. crenulata, it is listed in NatureServe as a plant of concern.

(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. confusa, A. crenulata, A. fruticosa, A. georgiana, A. glabra, A. herbacea, A. laevigata, A. nana, A. nitens, A. ouachitensis, A. roemeriana, A. schwerinii
A. californica, A. canescens, A. confusa, A. fruticosa, A. georgiana, A. glabra, A. herbacea, A. laevigata, A. nana, A. nitens, A. ouachitensis, A. paniculata, A. roemeriana, A. schwerinii
Synonyms A. herbacea var. crenulata
Name authority Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 306. (1838) Rydberg in N. L. Britton et al.: N. Amer. Fl. 24: 30. (1919)
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