Chamaecrista nictitans
Chamaecrista deeringiana
partridge pea, sensitive partridge or wild sensitive pea, sensitive partridge pea, wild sensitive-pea
Florida keys sensitive pea
erect, not or weakly branched.
(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.
3–8.5 cm;
petiole 3–7 mm;
extrafloral nectary 1, subsessile or shortly stipitate;
leaflets 8–18(–20) pairs, blades lanceolate- or linear-oblong, 9–20 × 2–3.3 mm.
1(or 2)-flowered, axillary.
1–4-flowered, supra-axillary.
0.5–4[–16] mm;
bracteoles mid pedicel.
(6–)8–22(–26) mm;
bracteoles distal to 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.
calyx greenish, sepal venation reticulate;
corolla rich yellow, petals all or some reddish spotted at claw, to (6–)8–22(–26) mm;
stamens 10;
anthers all or some yellow, dull reddish, or both, to 8–10.5 mm;
ovary often hairy, sometimes glabrous.
straight, linear-oblong, [14–](15–)18–48(–56)[–78] × [2.4–]2.5–5.5(–5.8) mm.
straight or slightly curved, linear, 35–75(–85) × 4.5–6 mm.
[1.9–](2.2–)2.4–3.4[–3.7] mm.
(2.8–)3.2–4.8 mm.
Chamaecrista nictitans
Chamaecrista deeringiana
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.)
The horizontal root system of Chamaecrista deeringiana, the only feature distinguishing this species from sympatric specimens of C. fasciculata, is interpreted as an adaptation to its fire-prone habitat.
Chamaecrista deeringiana is locally abundant in central and southern peninsular Florida, and in western Florida northward into Baldwin County, Alabama; it has also been documented from Peach and Taylor counties, Georgia, and Harrison County, Mississippi.
(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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