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largebract Indian breadroot, tallbread scurfpea

Chihuahua scurfpea, small Indian breadroot

Habit Herbs caulescent, to 100+ cm, mostly glandular throughout, strigose becoming glabrate. Herbs subacaulescent, to 30 cm, mostly glandular (with obvious blond to dark brown glands) and appressed-spreading pubescent throughout.
Stems

1+, decumbent to erect-ascending, much branched, leaves dispersed along stems;

pseudoscapes rarely branched, 0–14 cm;

cataphylls 0–13 mm.

mostly very short-erect, sparsely branched, with leaves clustered at base, rarely with decumbent lateral stems 0–15 cm, with leaves and inflorescences in terminal clusters;

pseudoscapes 0–4 cm;

cataphylls 7–15 mm (when present), apically emarginate.

Leaves

palmately 3–5-foliolate;

stipules persistent, erect to reflexed, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, 6–15 × 1–5 mm, glandular, pubescent;

petiole enlarged but not jointed basally, often canaliculate, 5–40 mm, sparsely strigose;

petiolules 1.5–3.5 mm;

leaflet blades oblanceolate to elliptic, oblong, or obovate, 2–4.8 × 0.5–2 cm, base cuneate, apex acute to obtuse or apiculate, surfaces abaxially pubescent, adaxially glabrous.

palmately or pseudopalmately 5(or 6)-foliolate, sometimes with 2 leaflets distal to others;

stipules persistent, lanceolate to linear, 9–15 × 5 mm, strigose-tomentose;

petiole jointed basally, 60–150 mm, strigose-tomentose;

petiolules 1.5–2 mm;

leaflet blades lanceolate, rhombic, or slightly oblanceolate, 2–5.5 × (1.5–)2–3.2 cm, base cuneate, margins undulate, apex acute, mucronate, surfaces glandular and pubescent.

Inflorescences

persistent, ellipsoid to elongate;

rachis 1.5–8.5 cm, nodes (2–)6–17, 3 flowers per node, internodes to 13 mm;

bracts persistent, erect to reflexed, lanceolate, 4–17 × 1–6 mm, glandular, pubescent.

disjointing in age at peduncle base, globose to long-ovoid;

rachis 2–4.5 cm, nodes 6–9, 3 flowers per node;

bracts persistent to tardily deciduous, lanceolate to elliptic, often ensiform, 5–7 × 2–3 mm, membranous in age, strigose.

Peduncles

0.6–15 cm, longer than subtending petiole, strigose.

(3–)4–9.5 cm, equal to or shorter than subtending petiole, appressed-pubescent.

Pedicels

2–3 mm.

2–3 mm.

Flowers

12–22 mm;

calyx strongly gibbous-campanulate in fruit, 9–15 mm abaxially, 8–12 mm adaxially, glandular, pubescent;

tube 4–5.5 mm;

abaxial lobe lanceolate to elliptic, 8–19 × 2–3.5 mm, adaxial lobes lanceolate, 4–7 × 1–1.5 mm;

corolla blue, purple, or violet, banner broadly oblanceolate to obovate, 13–21 × 7–8 mm with claw 4–6 mm, wings 12–18.5 × 3–4 mm with claw 4–7.5 mm, keel 9–13 × 4–7 mm with claw 2.5–3 mm;

filaments 8–12 mm;

anthers elliptic, 0.5–0.6 mm;

ovary glabrous or pubescent and glandular on distal 1/4–1/3, style pubescent basally.

14–18 mm;

calyx gibbous-campanulate in fruit, 14–16 mm abaxially, 11–12 mm adaxially, glandular, strigose;

tube 4–5 mm;

abaxial lobe broadly oblanceolate, 10–12 × 3.5–4 mm, adaxial lobes linear-lanceolate, 7–8 × 1–1.5 mm;

corolla white to purple, banner white to lavender, paler than other petals, lanceolate to elliptic, 15–17 × 6–7 mm with claw 4–5 mm, wings 15–16 × 3–3.5 mm with claw 6 mm, keel 9–12 × 3 mm with claw 6–7 mm;

filaments 8.5–10.5 mm;

anthers round-elliptic, 0.3 mm;

ovary pubescent apically, style pubescent basally.

Legumes

ovoid to obovate, 6–8 × 4–4.5 mm, glandular, pubescent distally, beak 1.5–2 mm, shorter than calyx.

ellipsoid-oblanceoloid, 7–8 × 4–5 mm, eglandular, pubescent, beak broad, flat, 10–15 mm, barely exserted beyond calyx.

Seed

reddish brown, reniform to globose, 3.5–4 × 4.5–5 mm.

gray-green to brown, oblong-reniform, 5–6 × 3–4 mm, rugose.

Pediomelum cuspidatum

Pediomelum pentaphyllum

Phenology Flowering spring–summer. Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat Grasslands, meadows, woodlands. Desert grasslands.
Elevation 50–1500 m. (200–4900 ft.) 1500–2000 m. (4900–6600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; KS; MT; NE; OK; SD; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Pediomelum cuspidatum is one of the larger species in the genus, in spite of its procumbent habit with erect-ascending, copious lateral branches. Horizontal stems are often bicolored, purple adaxially and light green abaxially. It is variable, particularly in plant height, flower length, and inflorescence length.

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

A history of the confusing nomenclature of Pediomelum pentaphyllum was given by P. Tonne (2000). The name was misapplied by P. A. Rydberg (1919–1920); the plant that Rydberg described as P. pentaphyllum was actually P. palmeri; the plant denoted here as P. pentaphyllum was called P. trinervatum Rydberg. J. W. Grimes (1990), before completion of his monograph, erroneously annotated several P. pentaphyllum specimens as P. trinervatum.

Pediomelum pentaphyllum is rare, with only a few confirmed populations in Arizona (Cochise and Graham counties) and New Mexico (Hidalgo County); it was also collected in Texas (Presidio County), and Chihuahua, Mexico (P. Tonne 2000), but may be extirpated in those states.

Pediomelum pentaphyllum is said to have been used by Native Americans and indigenous Mexicans as a fever reducer, the use of which may have contributed historically to its spread through cultivation. It is uncertain as to why P. pentaphyllum has declined, but causes may include over-collecting, grazing, and herbicide application (WildEarth Guardians, https://pdf.wildearthguardians.org/site/DocServer/petition_scurfpea.pdf?docID=624&AddInterest=1103).

(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. argophyllum, P. aromaticum, P. californicum, P. canescens, P. castoreum, 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. piedmontanum, P. reverchonii, P. rhombifolium, P. subacaule, P. tenuiflorum, P. verdiense
Synonyms Psoralea cuspidata Psoralea pentaphylla
Name authority (Pursh) Rydberg in N. L. Britton et al.: N. Amer. Fl. 24: 19. (1919) (Linnaeus) Rydberg in N. L. Britton et al.: N. Amer. Fl. 24: 23. (1919)
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