Hoffmannseggia glauca |
Hoffmannseggia repens |
|
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hoffmanseggia, hog potato, Indian rushpea, pig-nut |
creeping nicker, creeping rush-pea |
|
Habit | Herbs, 5–30(–50) cm; from deep taproot, producing round, tuberlike spheres to 2 cm. | Herbs, 9–15 cm; from woody caudex, with spreading, underground rhizomes. |
Leaves | 38–150 ×13–42 mm; stipules ovate, 1.5–4 × 1.5–3 mm, ciliate; pinnae 4–13; leaflets 7–27 per pinna, blades obtuse-ovate, 2–6 × 1–4.5 mm, surfaces strigose abaxially, glabrous adaxially. |
2–10 × 24–30 mm; stipules ovate, 3–5.5 × 1.5–4 mm, pubescent; pinnae 3–9; leaflets 9–15 per pinna, blades obtuse-oblong, 5–9 × 2–4 mm, surfaces puberulent to pubescent abaxially, sparsely pubescent adaxially. |
Racemes | 4–15-flowered, terminal, 5–23 cm; rachis and pedicels puberulent to strigose and stipitate-glandular. |
10–15-flowered, terminal, 9.7–14 cm; rachis and pedicels puberulent, eglandular. |
Flowers | turning downward, broadly flared, 10–16 × 10–18 mm; calyx persistent, densely pubescent abaxially, with multicellular, glandular trichomes; banner yellow, drying pink with red markings, 5–14 × 5 mm, conspicuous multicellular, glandular trichomes on claw and abaxial surface, with few hairs at base of folded claw adaxially; lateral petals bright yellow, 13 × 6 mm, with multicellular, glandular trichomes on claw margins and base abaxially. |
turning downward, broadly opening, 12–15 ×8–13 mm; calyx persistent, distinct portion 7–11 ×2–5 mm, densely tomentose abaxially, eglandular; banner bright yellow or orange-yellow with red markings, fading pink to pale orange, 13–15 × 6 mm, glabrous abaxially, with tuft of trichomes at base of claw adaxially; lateral petals yellow, fading pinkish, 12–13 × 3–6 mm, glabrous abaxially. |
Legumes | tan, rectangular to arcuate, sometimes expanded near apex, 20–40 × 5–8 mm, indehiscent, margins ± parallel, obscure, apex obtuse to acute; valves flat, sparsely tomentose, with a few scattered multicellular, glandular trichomes appearing as brown dots. |
often undulate, straight, green turning red, compressed between seeds, broadly oblong or suborbicular in outline, 20–54 ×10–20 mm, indehiscent, margins pronounced, puberulent, apex acute, often with portion of withered style; valves thin, flat, reticulate, sparsely puberulent. |
Seeds | 1–10. |
1–4(–6). |
2n | = 24. |
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Hoffmannseggia glauca |
Hoffmannseggia repens |
|
Phenology | Flowering spring. | Flowering late spring. |
Habitat | Disturbed areas. | Dunes, sandy soils. |
Elevation | 0–3000 m. (0–9800 ft.) | 900–1900 m. (3000–6200 ft.) |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; KS; NM; OK; TX; Mexico; South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru)
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CO; UT |
Discussion | Hoffmannseggia glauca is considered a noxious weed in agricultural and pasture lands of the middle and southwestern United States, spreading aggressively by tuberous roots. While it is possible that it was introduced into North America by humans, historical use of the tubers by indigenous people in the American Southwest indicates a long association and, perhaps, natural long-distance dispersal from South America. Hoffmannseggia falcaria Cavanilles, an illegitimate and superfluous name, pertains here. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Hoffmannseggia repens usually flowers in spring but will flower sporadically at other times during wet years. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 11. | FNA vol. 11. |
Parent taxa | Fabaceae > subfam. Caesalpinioideae (excluding Mimosoid clade) > Hoffmannseggia | Fabaceae > subfam. Caesalpinioideae (excluding Mimosoid clade) > Hoffmannseggia |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Larrea glauca, Caesalpinia falcaria var. capitata, C. falcaria var. pringlei, C. falcaria var. rusbyi, H. densiflora, H. falcaria var. capitata, H. falcaria var. pringlei, H. falcaria var. rusbyi, H. stricta, H. stricta var. demissa | Caesalpinia repens, Moparia repens |
Name authority | (Ortega) Eifert: Sida 5: 43. (1972) — (as Hoffmanseggia) | (Eastwood) Cockerell: Muhlenbergia 4: 68. (1908) — (as Hoffmanseggia) |
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