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snoutbean

royal snoutbean

Habit Herbs, perennial, subshrubs, or vines, unarmed; from woody taproots. Herbs or subshrubs.
Stems

prostrate, procumbent, twining, ascending, or erect, pubescent or glabrous.

erect and wiry, villosulous to puberulent, hairs silvery.

Leaves

alternate, unifoliolate or trifoliolate;

stipules present, striate;

petiolate;

stipels deciduous;

leaflets 1 or 3, 0.5–2.5 mm, blade margins entire, surfaces gland-dotted abaxially, sometimes also adaxially, pubescent or glabrous.

trifoliolate;

stipules persistent, linear, 1 × 0.5 mm, apex acuminate;

petiole 1–3 mm, puberulent;

leaflet blades elliptic, 5–20 × 4–10 mm, leathery, gland-dotted abaxially, base cuneate, margins revolute, apex acute to obtuse, frequently apiculate, surfaces puberulent abaxially, finely strigose adaxially.

Inflorescences

1–3-flowered, usually axillary, rarely terminal, usually racemes;

bracts present, striate.

1(2 or 3) simple flowers per axil, longer than leaves, 0.7–1.5 cm.

Pedicels

3–5 mm.

Flowers

papilionaceous;

calyx campanulate with relatively long lobes, or tubulous-campanulate with relatively short lobes, lobes 5;

corolla yellow, yellow-orange, or green-yellow, often with purple or brown tinge or streaks, (4–)6–12(–14) mm;

stamens 10, diadelphous;

anthers dorsifixed.

calyx 5–8 mm, hirtellous, tube 1.5–3 mm, lobes lanceolate, laterals 4.5–5 mm, lengths to 2.5 times tube, adaxials 1–1.5 mm;

corolla yellow, veined purple;

banner obovate to orbiculate, 8–10 × 7–10 mm, emarginate, glabrous;

wings narrowly oblong, 8.5–10 × 2–2.5 mm, glabrous;

keel 9–10 × 4–5 mm, glabrous;

stamens 10–12 mm.

Fruits

legumes, sessile or subsessile, usually compressed, ovoid to ellipsoid, falcate, or acinaciform, beaked, dehiscent, gland-dotted, pubescent or glabrous.

Legumes

oblong or oblong-lanceoloid, compressed, 10–20 × 5–9 mm, puberulent.

Seeds

1 or 2, subglobose, ovoid to ellipsoid, or reniform.

brown, black, or mottled, subglobose, compressed, 2–3 × 2–3 mm;

hilum ovate, 0.5–1 mm.

x

= 11.

Rhynchosia

Rhynchosia cytisoides

Phenology Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat Sandy soils of pinehills, fields, oak woodlands, roadsides, sand dunes.
Elevation 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.)
Distribution
from USDA
United States; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies; Bermuda; Asia (Japan, South Korea); warm temperate and tropical areas
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; MS
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Species ca. 200 (14 in the flora).

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

Rhynchosia galactoides (Nuttall) Endlicher ex Walpers is an illegitimate name that pertains here.

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

Key
1. Leaves usually unifoliolate, distalmost rarely trifoliolate.
→ 2
2. Calyces 14–16 mm; wings oblong, 9–11 mm; stamens 9–10 mm; leaflet surfaces tomentose-woolly abaxially.
R. michauxii
2. Calyces 7–13 mm; wings narrowly oblong, 6.5–7.7 mm; stamens 6–8.5 mm; leaflet surfaces hirtellous or villosulous abaxially.
→ 3
3. Stems usually ascending or erect, rarely twining; calyces densely hirtellous and gland-dotted; banners 6.5–7 mm; keel petals 6.7–7 × 2–2.5 mm; stamens 6–7 mm.
R. reniformis
3. Stems procumbent, trailing, or twining; calyces villosulous; banners 8.5–10 mm; keel petals 8–9 × 3–3.5 mm; stamens 7.5–8.5 mm.
R. americana
1. Leaves usually trifoliolate, proximalmost sometimes unifoliolate.
→ 4
4. Calyces: lateral lobes 3+ times tubes.
→ 5
5. Inflorescences longer than leaves; leaflet surfaces villous abaxially; seeds brown- gray or mottled.
R. latifolia
5. Inflorescences shorter than leaves; leaflet surfaces puberulent, villosulous, hirtellous, strigulose, or strigose abaxially; seeds brown, black, or mottled.
→ 6
6. Stems ascending or erect; calyces: adaxial lobes 2–2.5 mm.
R. tomentosa
6. Stems usually prostrate or twining, rarely climbing or erect; calyces: adaxial lobes 3–5 mm.
→ 7
7. Petioles strigulose; stems prostrate, rarely climbing.
R. cinerea
7. Petioles hirsute; stems prostrate or twining.
R. difformis
4. Calyces: lateral lobes to 2.5 times tubes.
→ 8
8. Stem hairs yellowish; Santa Cruz County, Arizona.
R. edulis
8. Stem hairs silvery or grayish; Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Texas.
→ 9
9. Stamens 3.5–7 mm.
→ 10
10. Legumes falcate to oblong-ovoid; seeds ovoid-reniform; wings puberulent apically.
R. minima
10. Legumes oblong or acinaciform; seeds reniform or subglobose; wings glabrous.
→ 11
11. Leaflets ± leathery, blades lanceolate-ovate, margins revolute; flowers solitary, 1(2 or 3)-clustered; inflorescences shorter than leaves.
R. texana
11. Leaflets membranous, blades ovate, margins flat; flowers in solitary racemes; inflorescences longer than leaves.
R. swartzii
9. Stamens 8–12 mm.
→ 12
12. Calyces: lateral lobes 2–3 mm; wings puberulent apically, 6–7 mm; seeds red and black, 5–8 mm.
R. precatoria
12. Calyces: lateral lobes 4–5 mm; wings glabrous, 8–10 mm; seeds brown, black, or mottled, 2–4 mm.
→ 13
13. Banners glabrous, keel petals 4–5 mm wide; seeds subglobose; hilum ovate; calyces hirtellous; leaflet surfaces gland-dotted and puberulent abaxially, strigose adaxially, blade bases cuneate.
R. cytisoides
13. Banners puberulent (and gland-dotted), keel petals 2–2.5 mm wide; seeds ovoid-ellipsoid; hilum linear; calyces tomentose, vis­cid; leaflet surfaces grayish tomentulose, blades bases obtuse.
R. parvifolia
Source FNA vol. 11. Author: Michael Woods. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Rhynchosia
Sibling taxa
R. americana, R. cinerea, R. difformis, R. edulis, R. latifolia, R. michauxii, R. minima, R. parvifolia, R. precatoria, R. reniformis, R. swartzii, R. texana, R. tomentosa
Subordinate taxa
R. americana, R. cinerea, R. cytisoides, R. difformis, R. edulis, R. latifolia, R. michauxii, R. minima, R. parvifolia, R. precatoria, R. reniformis, R. swartzii, R. texana, R. tomentosa
Synonyms Leucopterum Lespedeza cytisoides, Pitcheria galactoides, R. pitcheria
Name authority Loureiro: Fl. Cochinch. 2: 425 — (as Phynchosia), 460. 1790, name conserved (Bertoloni) Wilbur: Rhodora 64: 60. (1962)
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