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shrubby lespedeza, violet bush-clover

prairie lespedeza, violet lespedeza, wand bush-clover, wandlike bush-clover

Habit Herbs. Herbs.
Stems

ascending or sprawling, clustered, 10–50 cm, branched much of length, sericeous or glabrescent.

erect or ascending, 40–150 cm, wandlike or branched apically, strigose or puberulent.

Leaves

usually 2 sizes, axillary ones subtending racemes much smaller;

stipules subulate, 2.5–6 mm;

petiole (5–)10–15(–20) mm, longer than rachis;

leaflet blades elliptic to narrowly elliptic, apex obtuse or retuse, apiculate, surfaces sericeous abaxially, glabrous adaxially;

laterals similar to terminal, without oblique base;

terminal blade 10–30(–40) × 8–22 mm (6–10 mm in axillary leaves), length 1.4–2.5 times width.

stipules subulate to narrowly triangular, 2–4 mm;

petiole 7–20 mm, longer than rachis;

leaflet blades obovate to elliptic-oblong, apex obtuse or retuse, apiculate, surfaces strigose abaxially, often glabrous, sometimes sparsely appressed-puberulent only on midrib adaxially;

laterals not oblique at base;

terminal blade 10–40 × 5–15 mm, length 1.5–3 times width.

Racemes

slender, 4–7-flowered, flowers not clustered at apex, flowers chasmogamous and cleistogamous.

4–10-flowered, crowded distally, flowers chasmogamous and cleistogamous.

Peduncles

usually much longer than subtending leaves, sericeous.

shorter than or equal to subtending leaves.

Pedicels

0.5–3 mm, appressed-puberulent;

bracteoles shorter than calyx tube.

2–3 mm;

bracteoles shorter than calyx tube.

Flowers

chasmogamous 6.5–9 mm;

calyx 4–6 mm, appressed-puberulent, tube 1–1.2 mm;

lobes 4, lateral narrowly triangular, 2.5–3 mm, adaxial connate proximally, apices acuminate;

corolla purple;

wings 5.5–6.5 mm;

keel 6–8 mm.

chasmogamous 6–7 mm;

calyx 3–4.5 mm, appressed-puberulent, tube 1–1.5 mm;

lobes 4, lateral narrowly triangular, 2–3 mm, adaxial connate proximally;

corolla pink-lavender to purple;

wings 6–7 mm;

keel 5–6 mm.

Loments

chasmogamous as long as calyx, ovate to rounded, 5–7 mm, cleistogamous exserted from calyx, calyx 1/5 loment length, rounded, 4–5 mm;

stipe subsessile.

body exserted from calyx, calyx 1/2 loment length, chasmogamous ovate to rounded, 5–7 mm, cleistogamous rounded, 4–6 mm, appressed-puberulent;

stipe 1.5 mm.

2n

= 20.

= 20.

Lespedeza frutescens

Lespedeza violacea

Phenology Flowering late summer–fall. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Open deciduous, dry upland woodlands, prairie fragments, alluvial woodlands, ruderal areas, limestone or sandy soils. Open, upland rocky, decid­uous woodlands, mixed or dry pine woods, mesic bot­toms, old fields, roadsides, often on acidic, sandy soils.
Elevation 0–900 m. (0–3000 ft.) 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WV; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The name Lespedeza violacea was widely applied to L. frutescens in the past; however, the type specimen of the basionym (Hedysarum violaceum) represents the species previously called L. intermedia. The result is that the name L. violacea replaces what was called L. intermedia, and L. frutescens must be taken up for this species (J. L. Reveal and F. R. Barrie 1991).

Lespedeza frutescens forms natural hybrids with L. capitata, L. hirta, L. procumbens, L. repens, L. stuevei, L. violacea, and L. virginica. Hybrids with L. violacea are common (A. F. Clewell 1966) and have been called L. × acuticarpa Mackenzie & Bush.

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

The name Lespedeza intermedia has traditionally been used for plants here called L. violacea (J. L. Reveal and F. R. Barrie 1991). The species that previously was called L. violacea is now L. frutescens.

Lespedeza violacea forms natural hybrids with L. capitata, L. frutescens, L. hirta, L. procumbens, L. repens, L. stuevei, and L. virginica.

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

Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Lespedeza Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Lespedeza
Sibling taxa
L. angustifolia, L. bicolor, L. capitata, L. cuneata, L. cyrtobotrya, L. daurica, L. hirta, L. leptostachya, L. procumbens, L. repens, L. stuevei, L. texana, L. thunbergii, L. violacea, L. virginica
L. angustifolia, L. bicolor, L. capitata, L. cuneata, L. cyrtobotrya, L. daurica, L. frutescens, L. hirta, L. leptostachya, L. procumbens, L. repens, L. stuevei, L. texana, L. thunbergii, L. virginica
Synonyms Hedysarum frutescens, L. prairea, L. violacea var. divergens, L. violacea var. prairea Hedysarum violaceum, L. intermedia
Name authority (Linnaeus) Hornemann: Hort. Bot. Hafn. 2: 699. (1815) (Linnaeus) Persoon: Syn. Pl. 2: 318. (1807)
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