Olneya
desert ironwood, ironwood, olneya
usually erect to ascending, rarely scandent, young growth densely sericeous to woolly.
alternate, even- or odd-pinnate;
stipules present, caducous or persistent, 4–10 mm;
petiolate;
leaflets (8 or)9–21(–24), usually alternate, rarely opposite, stipels absent, blade margins entire, surfaces sericeous.
3–29-flowered, terminal, often congested into panicles;
bracts present;
bracteoles absent.
papilionaceous;
calyx zygomorphic, campanulate, lobes 5;
corolla whitish to purplish, wing petals and keel tips usually purple;
stamens 10, diadelphous;
anthers basifixed;
style glabrous proximally, with pollen brush surrounding distal 1/2;
stigma terminal, capitate, ciliate.
legumes, stipitate, terete, fusiform, elastically dehiscent, sparsely to densely stipitate-glandular, pubescent.
1 or 2(–5), spheroidal;
hilum subapical.
= 9.
Olneya
Species 1.
Olneya is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and adjacent California, and to northwestern Mexico.
Olneya is readily distinguished from other woody papilionoid genera by the combination of broadly triangular calyx lobes, banner and wing petals tomentose abaxially, leaf rachises terminated by a spinose seta but that also usually bear an odd number of leaflets in alternate arrangement, and spinescent stipules that are especially prominent on the younger twigs.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
