Flora of North America species comparison

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Sophora nuttalliana

silky sophora, white loco, white sophora
Habit Herbs, 0.1–0.4(–0.7) m, sericeous to irregularly spreading-pubescent, rhizomatous.
Leaves

rachis (3–)5–8 cm;

leaflets (7–)11–23, blades ovate to oblanceolate, 0.5–1.5 cm, surfaces sericeous abaxially, glabrous adaxially.
Inflorescences

6–35-flowered, loose to dense, 2–8 cm;

bracteoles 2.
Pedicels

1–2  mm.
Flowers

ascending, becoming spreading or descending, 12–16 mm;

calyx asymmetrically tubular, asymmetrically pouched, 5–8 mm;

corolla white to creamy white;

ovary pubescent.
Legumes

light brown, cylindric, torulose, 3–7 × 0.5–1 cm, firmly papery.
Seeds

(1 or)2–4(–6), mustard-yellow or olivaceous to brown, 4.5–5 mm.
2n

= 36.

Sophora nuttalliana
Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Grasslands, plains, rocky hill­sides, stream beds, canyon floors.
Elevation 500–2100 m. (1600–6900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; KS; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; UT; WY; Mexico (Chihuahua)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Clonal patches of Sophora nuttalliana are widespread in the short-grass prairies of the Great Plains and adjacent areas. When in flower, it has an aspect reminiscent of Astragalus. Like that genus, it and other Sophora species are considered toxic (G. E. Burrows and R. L. Tyrl 2013). However, experiments involving feeding large amounts of plant material to horses failed to provoke symptoms (J. M. Kingsbury 1964). Roots of S. nuttalliana reportedly have been used by Native American groups as a sweetener and special food treat, and the plants have been used as forage for sheep (D. E. Moerman 1998).

The name Sophora carnosa (Pursh) Yakovlev is based on an illegitimate name, Astragalus carnosus Pursh, with which A. crassicarpus Nuttall was cited in synonymy. The fruit described for A. carnosus is that of A. crassicarpus, while the rest of the description is based on flowers and foliage of S. nuttalliana.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Sophora
Sibling taxa
S. leachiana, S. stenophylla, S. tomentosa
Synonyms S. sericea, Patrinia sericea, Pseudosophora sericea, Radiusia sericea, Vexibia nuttalliana, V. sericea
Name authority B. L. Turner: Field & Lab. 24: [42]. (1956)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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