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Photo is of parent taxon

Atlantic pigeon wings, butterfly pea

Stems

1–4 from crown, trailing, to 150 cm, or erect to lax, apex sometimes twining, to 60 cm;

internodes ± straight to weakly flexuous;

branches few, primarily basal.

Leaves

stipules lanceolate to lanceolate-ovate, 4–8 × 2–5 mm, apex acute;

petiole subterete, often weakly to strongly canaliculate adaxially, 2–10 cm;

stipels linear to subulate, 3–8 mm;

petiolules 2–4 mm;

rachis 1–2(–2.5) cm;

leaflets 3, blades ovate, oblong-ovate, elliptic-oblong, lanceolate, lanceolate-ovate, oblong, or elliptic, 20–90(–115) × 10–40(–65) mm, thick membranous to thick papery, base broadly cuneate to subcordate, primary lateral veins 7–12 pairs, apex usually acute to obtuse, rarely short-acuminate or mucronate, surfaces glaucescent, glabrate or sparsely pubescent abaxially on major veins or moderately to densely piloso-sericeous, glabrate or uncinate-pubescent adaxially.

Leaflet

blades: abaxial surface moderately to densely piloso-sericeous, macrotrichomes conspicuous, not widely scattered or confined to veins, adaxial surface glabrate, trichomes inconspicuous, microuncinate, whitish macrotrichomes, trichomes scattered, falcate to subappressed, 0.3–1 mm.

Inflorescences

2(–4)-flowered, 1–5 cm, flowers cleistogamous and/or chasmogamous;

bracts lanceolate, 3–4 × 1 mm.

Peduncles

1–4.5 cm (chasmogamous flowers) or 0.5–3 cm (cleistogamous flowers).

Pedicels

3–7 mm;

bracteoles of chasmogamous flowers lanceolate to lanceolate-ovate, 4–9 × 2–3 mm, cleistogamous flowers 3–5 mm, apex acute, uncinate-pubescent.

Calyces

uncinate-pubescent or glabrate, macrotrichomes moderately dense to scattered.

Legumes

brown, convex, 25–55(–70) × 6–9 mm;

stipe 12–17 mm (5–10 mm in cleistogamous).

Seeds

1–10, black, cuboidal to globular, 3–5 × 4–6 mm, viscid.

Xylopodium

proximal portion horizontal, cylindric, 4–15 × 3–12 cm;

distal portion 1+ m × 1.5–6 mm.

Chasmogamous

flowers: calyx tube greenish, 10–14 × 3–5 mm at base becoming 5–8 mm wide;

lobes ovate, 5–9 × 2.5–3.5 mm (at base, abaxial lobe 7–9 mm), apex short-acuminate;

corolla blue to pale purplish;

banner 40–60 mm, claw 5–8 mm;

wing blades 21–24 × 5–10 mm, claw 7–12 mm;

keel 8–13 × 3–5 mm, claw 14–21 mm;

staminal tube 21–30 mm;

filaments distinct, 2–4 mm;

anthers lanceolate, 1–2 mm;

ovary 7–9 mm, densely uncinate-pubescent;

style 16–20 mm.

Cleistogamous

flowers: calyx tube 4–5 × 1–2 mm becoming 2 mm wide;

lobes 2–3 mm;

staminal tube 0.1 mm;

ovary 5–6 mm;

style 4–6 mm, bent backwards and in contact with anthers.

2n

= 16.

Clitoria mariana var. pubescentia

Clitoria mariana

Phenology Flowering (chasmogamous) May–Jul(–Sep), (cleis­togamous) mid Jul–Nov; fruiting (chasmogamous) (May–)Jun–Nov, (cleistogamous) mid Jul–Nov.
Habitat Dry, sandy soils in open areas of pine, pine-oak, oak-hickory associations.
Elevation 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL
from USDA
se United States; n Mexico; Asia
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Discussion

Variety pubescentia is known from central and southern Florida. The variety is commonly found south of an imaginary line drawn across north-central Florida (Cedar Key to Ponte Verda Beach).

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

Varieties 3 (2 in the flora).

Variety orientalis Fantz occurs in China, eastern India, Myanmar (Burma), and Thailand. It is characterized as a vine with inflorescences bearing two to six slightly smaller flowers than those in the flora area and without cleistogamous flowers.

Clitoria mariana is cultivated for its showy chasmogamous flowers. Plants in the wild grow as isolated individuals or in clusters.

Historically, Clitoria mariana has been misidentified as Centrosema virginianum, which is distinguished as a vine with a campanulate calyx bearing lobes that are narrow and longer than the tube, bracteoles that nearly hide the calyx, a spurred banner, wings subequal in length to the keel, and flat fruits with two marginal veins.

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

Key
1. Leaflet blades sparsely pubescent or glabrate abaxially, hairs scattered or confined to major veins; calyces glabrate, macrotrichomes sparse, scattered.
var. mariana
1. Leaflet blades moderately to densely pilose-sericeous abaxially, hairs suberect to erect, not widely scattered or confined to veins; calyces uncinate-pubescent or glabrate, macrotrichomes moderately dense to scattered.
var. pubescentia
Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Clitoria > Clitoria mariana Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Clitoria
Sibling taxa
C. mariana var. mariana
C. fragrans, C. ternatea
Subordinate taxa
C. mariana var. mariana, C. mariana var. pubescentia
Synonyms Martiusia mariana
Name authority Fantz: Sida 16: 727. (1995) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 753. (1753)
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