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silverleaf Indian breadroot, silverleaf scurfpea

Nashville breadroot, white-rim scurfpea

Habit Herbs caulescent, to 100 cm, mostly glandular throughout, silvery-sericeous. Herbs acaulescent or subacaulescent, to 20 cm, eglandular except leaves or rarely stipules and bracts, pubescent.
Stems

± erect, branched distally, branches subtended by leaves, leaves dispersed along stems, more so distally;

pseudoscapes to 10 cm (when present);

cataphylls 9–20 mm, glabrous or pubescent apically.

absent, leaves clustered;

pseudoscapes erect, 3–10 cm, usually 1, sometimes to 6, rarely branched proximally;

cataphylls 10–20 mm (when present).

Leaves

palmately 3–6-foliolate;

stipules tardily deciduous proximally, persistent distally, linear, 8–18 × 2–4 mm, rarely glandular, glabrous;

petiole not swollen or jointed basally, slightly canaliculate, 2–55 mm, strigose;

petiolules 1–4 mm;

leaflet blades oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic or orbiculate, 1.1–4.5 × 0.6–2.2 cm, base attenuate, apex acute, acuminate to apiculate, surfaces abaxially sparsely to densely sericeous, rarely eglandular, adaxially glabrous or less sericeous.

palmately 5–7-foliolate;

stipules often fragmented on plant, partly connate, ovate, 11–24 × 11–16 mm, scarious, usually eglandular, sparsely pubescent;

petiole jointed basally, 40–150(–190) mm, shorter than peduncle, hirsute-villous;

petiolules 1–2.5 mm;

leaflet blades oblanceolate to elliptic, 1.5–4.5(–6) × 0.5–1.3(–1.8) cm, base cuneate, apex acuminate to obtuse, surfaces glandular, abaxially pubescent, adaxially sparsely so, usually along margins.

Inflorescences

persistent, oblong, elongate;

rachis 0–6 cm, exposed, nodes (1 or)2–4(–8), (1–)3 flowers per node, internodes 3–7(–17) mm;

bracts persistent, linear to lanceolate or elliptic, 3–9 × 1.5–4 mm, sericeous.

disjointing in age at peduncle base, long-ovoid;

rachis 2.5–9.5 cm, elongating through fruiting, nodes 4–11(–15), 3 flowers per node, internodes 1–5 mm, elongating to 25 mm in fruit;

bracts persistent, orbiculate to lanceolate, 7–14 × 2–7 mm, margins pubescent, apex sometimes caudate or emarginate, becoming papery and veined in age.

Peduncles

3–9 cm, longer than subtending petiole, densely white-strigose.

4–14 cm (8–19 cm in fruit), longer than subtending petiole, setose.

Pedicels

0.5–1 mm.

1–2 mm.

Flowers

7–11 mm;

calyx elongating and becoming broadly and shallowly campanulate in fruit but not gibbous, 6–8 mm abaxially, 4–6 mm adaxially, glandular (glands often hidden by hairs), sericeous (sometimes sparsely so);

tube 2–3 mm;

lobes linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, abaxial 4.5–5 × 2–2.5 mm, adaxial 1.5 × 1 mm;

corolla deep blue, banner oblanceolate to obovate or orbiculate, 6–7.5 × 3.5–5 mm with claw 1.5–2 mm, wings 6–7 × 1.5–2.5 mm with claw 2–2.5 mm, keel 5–6 × 1.5–2 mm with claw 2–3 mm;

filaments 4.5–5 mm;

anthers elliptic, 0.4 mm;

ovary glabrous proximally, canescent on distal 2/3, style canescent basally.

10–15(–22) mm;

calyx weakly gibbous-campanulate in fruit, 6–10 mm abaxially, 5–8 mm adaxially, glabrate and eglandular on gibbous portion, sparsely setose and glandular distally;

tube stramineous, 4.5–6 mm;

lobes triangular, abaxial 2–4 × 2 mm, adaxial 1–2 × 1 mm;

corolla dark blue to purple, banner oblanceolate to oval, 13–23 × 4–5 mm with claw 5–6 mm, wings 12–18 × 2–3 mm with claw 5–7 mm, keel 10–15 × 2–3 mm with claw 2–3 mm;

filaments 10–12 mm;

anthers obovate, 0.3 mm;

ovary pubescent apically, style pubescent basally.

Legumes

narrowly oblong, 5–6 × 3–4.5 mm, obscurely glandular, tomentose, beak 3–5 mm, equal to or slightly longer than calyx.

globose to ovoid, 6–7 × 4–5 mm, eglandular, sparsely pubescent apically, beak triangular, 4–6 mm, exserted beyond calyx.

Seed

red-brown, round-reniform, 4–5 × 3–4 mm, dull.

gray-brown to red-brown, obovoid-reniform, 5–6 × 3–4 mm.

2n

= 22.

= 22.

Pediomelum argophyllum

Pediomelum subacaule

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering spring.
Habitat Grasslands. Calcareous soils, cedar glades.
Elevation 200–1500 m. (700–4900 ft.) 200–1500 m. (700–4900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; IA; IL; KS; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NY; OK; SD; TX; WI; WY; AB; MB; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; GA; TN
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Pediomelum argophyllum is unique in the genus in its gray, silvery pubescence, earning it the common name silverleaf Indian breadroot. It has one of the widest distributions of its congeners, ranging from Canada to Texas, but seems more prevalent in the northern states. It has been used by native cultures for food or medicine for at least 2500 years (D. F. Dexter et al. 2014).

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

Pediomelum subacaule is known from Colbert and Franklin counties in Alabama, Catoosa County in Georgia, and Davidson, Maury, Rutherford, and Wilson counties in Tennessee.

Pediomelum subacaule is quite distinct and disjunct from its fellow members of subg. Disarticulatum, this evidenced by its large, partly connate stipules and short, broad calyx lobes, and by being the only species in the subgenus east of the Mississippi River. Pediomelum subacaule is restricted to limestone soil in open cedar glades. Although P. subacaule is well established in the protected cedar glades of Tennessee, its historical range is shrinking due to habitat loss. Several historical sites that were, or still are, active limestone quarries have no remaining evidence of P. subacaule, particularly in Alabama and Georgia.

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

Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Pediomelum Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Pediomelum
Sibling taxa
P. aromaticum, P. californicum, P. canescens, P. castoreum, P. cuspidatum, P. cyphocalyx, P. digitatum, P. epipsilum, P. esculentum, P. humile, P. hypogaeum, P. latestipulatum, P. linearifolium, P. megalanthum, P. mephiticum, P. palmeri, P. pariense, P. pentaphyllum, P. piedmontanum, P. reverchonii, P. rhombifolium, P. subacaule, P. tenuiflorum, P. verdiense
P. argophyllum, P. aromaticum, P. californicum, P. canescens, P. castoreum, P. cuspidatum, P. cyphocalyx, P. digitatum, P. epipsilum, P. esculentum, P. humile, P. hypogaeum, P. latestipulatum, P. linearifolium, P. megalanthum, P. mephiticum, P. palmeri, P. pariense, P. pentaphyllum, P. piedmontanum, P. reverchonii, P. rhombifolium, P. tenuiflorum, P. verdiense
Synonyms Psoralea argophylla Psoralea subacaulis, Lotodes subacaulis
Name authority (Pursh) J. W. Grimes: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 61: 69. (1990) (Torrey & A. Gray) Rydberg in N. L. Britton et al.: N. Amer. Fl. 24: 20. (1919)
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