Chamaecrista nictitans
Chamaecrista chamaecristoides
partridge pea, sensitive partridge or wild sensitive pea, sensitive partridge pea, sensitive pea, wild sensitive-pea
beach sensitive pea
erect, incurved ascending.
(1.5–)2–8(–9)[15–21] cm;
petiole (1.5–)2–7 mm;
extrafloral nectary 1(or 2), near mid petiole, stipitate;
leaflets (6–)8–28(–32)[–40] pairs, blades usually straight, sometimes falcate, linear, narrowly oblong, or oblong-elliptic, (3–)4–26 × 1–3 mm.
1(or 2)-flowered, axillary.
0.5–4[–16] mm;
bracteoles mid pedicel.
calyx greenish, sepal venation reticulate;
corolla yellow, sometimes fading pinkish, petals to 3.5–8(–9)[–16] mm;
stamens [2–]4–8[or 9];
anthers yellow-orange or red, to (1.4–)1.6–3[–9.5] mm, different sizes;
ovary usually hairy throughout, rarely glabrate.
straight, linear-oblong, [14–](15–)18–48(–56)[–78] × [2.4–]2.5–5.5(–5.8) mm.
[1.9–](2.2–)2.4–3.4[–3.7] mm.
Chamaecrista nictitans
Chamaecrista chamaecristoides
Varieties 13 (3 in the flora).
Chamaecrista nictitans is distinguished from the closely similar C. fasciculata (and C. deeringiana) by its globose-ovoid floral buds, which are ovoid-acuminate in the latter two species. All three varieties in the flora area belong to subsp. nictitans and are characterized by two to nine fertile stamens, while all other varieties have ten fertile stamens (they belong to the other subspecies): subsp. brachypoda (Bentham) H. S. Irwin & Barneby, subsp. disadena (Steudel) H. S. Irwin & Barneby, and subsp. patellaria (Colladon) H. S. Irwin & Barneby (H. S. Irwin and R. C. Barneby 1982). The key to varieties in the flora is adapted from Irwin and Barneby.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Varieties 3 (1 in the flora).
Chamaecrista chamaecristoides appears to be one of the first flowering plants to colonize coastal sand dunes (especially in the Gulf of Mexico), where it contributes to decreased sand movement, ultimately stabilizing the dunes (M. L. Martinez and P. Moreno-Casasola 1998). Three varieties are recognized in C. chamaecristoides. While var. cruziana is an annual herb that sometimes survives the winter, the other two varieties, var. brandegeei (Britton & Rose) H. S. Irwin & Barneby and var. chamaecristoides, are perennials that occur only in Mexico and differ from each other and var. cruziana in the width of their pods, 3–4 mm and 5–6 mm, respectively.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Leaflet blade margins ciliolate, some hairs 0.4+ mm; ovules 8–19. | var. leptadenia |
1. Leaflet blade margins glabrous or hairs to 0.4 mm; ovules 5–10. | → 2 |
2. Stems and petioles glabrous or hairs whitish, to 0.7 mm. | var. nictitans |
2. Stems and petioles covered with hairs yellow or orange reddish, 1–2.5 mm. | var. aspera |
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