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Dixie Mountain breadroot, Piedmont breadroot

Habit Herbs caulescent, 50–80(–100) cm, mostly glandular throughout and strigose.
Stems

usually 1, rarely 2, erect, unbranched proximally to much branched distally, leaves dispersed along distal branches;

pseudoscapes 0;

cataphylls 6–10 mm.

Leaves

palmately 3(–5)-foliolate;

stipules persistent, mostly linear-lanceolate, 7–12 × 6.5–9 mm, sparsely strigose;

petiole, when present, not swollen or jointed basally, slightly canaliculate, (0 or)2–2.5(–4) mm, usually shorter than petiolules, sparsely strigose;

petiolules often adnate to leaf spur, 1.8–3 mm;

leaflet blades narrowly to broadly elliptic, (1–)1.2–5(–5.5) × (0.4–)0.6–2.7 cm, base cuneate, apex rounded to shallowly retuse and often mucronate, surfaces sparsely strigose.

Inflorescences

persistent, crowded, rachis usually concealed, usually elliptic to oblong, rarely ovate;

rachis (1–)2–5(–5.5) cm, nodes (4–)6–13(–15), (1–)3(or 4) flowers per node;

bracts persistent, broadly ovate to suborbiculate, 8–11.5 × (7–)9–10 mm, glabrous.

Peduncles

0.6–2.8(–3.4) cm, longer than subtending petiole, appressed-spreading pubescent.

Pedicels

1–3 mm.

Flowers

12.5–14 mm;

calyx strongly gibbous-campanulate in fruit, 12–16 mm abaxially, (10–)12–13 mm adaxially, glandular, pilose;

tube 4–5 mm;

lobes linear-lanceolate, abaxial (6–)7–11(–11.5) × 1.5–3 mm, adaxial 4–8 × 1–1.5 mm;

corolla violet to lavender or cream to yellowish and tinged with violet, banner broadly oblanceolate to obovate, (8.5–)10–14 × 5.5–7 mm with claw (3.5–)4.5–7 mm, wings (7–)8–12 × 2–2.5 mm with claw (3–)4–6 mm, keel (5–)6–10 × 2–2.5(–3) mm with claw (3–)4–5 mm;

filaments 9.5–11 mm;

anthers broadly elliptic, 0.5(–0.8) mm;

ovary glabrous, style glabrous, sometimes strigulose basally.

Legumes

broadly ellipsoid to nearly obovoid, 6–7 × 4–4.5 mm, glabrous, dark brown-glandular on distal 1/2, beak (5–)6–8 mm, exserted beyond calyx.

Seed

gray-brown, reniform, 3.5–5 × 2.5–3.5(–4) mm.

Pediomelum piedmontanum

Phenology Flowering summer.
Habitat Rocky, open areas, adjacent open woodlands.
Elevation 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
GA; SC
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Pediomelum piedmontanum is known from only three populations, one in Georgia and two in South Carolina, with an estimated 1000 individuals in existence. Populations are newly threatened by the recent invasion of Megacopta cribraria (the Kudzu Bug), seen inhabiting plants in South Carolina, as well as continued herbivory and damage by moths, which make this species of special conservation concern.

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

Source FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Pediomelum
Sibling taxa
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. reverchonii, P. rhombifolium, P. subacaule, P. tenuiflorum, P. verdiense
Name authority J. R. Allison: M. W. Morris & A. N. Egan, Sida 22: 229, figs. 1, 2. (2006)
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