Sophora nuttalliana
Sophora
silky sophora, white loco, white sophora
necklace-pod
erect, pubescent or glabrous.
rachis (3–)5–8 cm;
leaflets (7–)11–23, blades ovate to oblanceolate, 0.5–1.5 cm, surfaces sericeous abaxially, glabrous adaxially.
alternate, odd-pinnate;
stipules usually present, caducous, linear to deltate;
petiolate, petiole 5–30 mm;
leaflets (7 or)9–23[–50], alternate or subopposite, stipels absent or minute and linear, blade margins entire, surfaces pubescent or glabrous (densely villous, sericeous, or glabrescent adaxially in S. tomentosa).
6–35-flowered, loose to dense, 2–8 cm;
bracteoles 2.
5–75[+]-flowered, terminal or axillary, racemes or panicles;
bracts present, caducous;
bracteoles caducous or absent.
1–2 mm.
ascending, becoming spreading or descending, 12–16 mm;
calyx asymmetrically tubular, asymmetrically pouched, 5–8 mm;
corolla white to creamy white;
ovary pubescent.
papilionaceous;
calyx campanulate, lobes 5, subequal, acute to truncate, sometimes gibbous, adaxial lobes often connate in part;
corolla white, creamy white, yellow, or purple, glabrous;
keel usually connate in part;
stamens 10, distinct or proximally connate;
anthers dorsifixed;
pistil linear to lanceolate.
legumes, sessile or short-stipitate, narrowly oblong-moniliform, cylindric [compressed], fusiform, or torulose, dehiscent, pubescent [glabrous].
light brown, cylindric, torulose, 3–7 × 0.5–1 cm, firmly papery.
(1 or)2–4(–6), mustard-yellow or olivaceous to brown, 4.5–5 mm.
1–15, light brown to mustard-yellow, globose to subglobose.
= 9.
= 36.
Sophora nuttalliana
Sophora
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.)
Species ca. 50 (4 in the flora).
Sophora as traditionally circumscribed is recognized as an unnatural assemblage. Molecular studies have elucidated the relationships among taxa in Sophora in the broad sense, resulting in recognition of several smaller genera. In the flora area, Sophora, as currently circumscribed, comprises herbaceous plants arising from a woody root, and the woody species S. tomentosa. Two species in the flora area that formerly were included in Sophora are now included in Dermatophyllum (D. arizonicum and D. secundiflorum), as is the closely related Mexican species D. gypsophilum and two others are placed in Styphnolobium (S. affine and S. japonicum). Styphnolobium is distinct from Sophora (in the narrow sense) in molecular studies, falling into the Cladrastis clade; Dermatophyllum is in a separate lineage from the Cladrastis clade and outside a clade in which the North American taxa of Sophora (in the narrow sense) fall (J. J. Doyle et al. 1996; R. T. Pennington et al. 2001; M. F. Wojciechowski et al. 2004).
The seeds and foliage of some species of Sophora contain neurotoxic alkaloids. Although neurotoxicity has not been demonstrated in native Sophora species, G. E. Burrows and R. L. Tyrl (2013) discussed possible teratogenic effects.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Shrubs or small trees; corollas creamy white to yellow; coastal near beaches or in pinelands. | S. tomentosa |
1. Herbs; corollas purple (fading blue), white, or creamy white; inland. | → 2 |
2. Leaflet blades narrowly linear; leaf rachises 2–4 cm; corollas purple (fading blue). | S. stenophylla |
2. Leaflet blades obovate to oblong or ovate to oblanceolate; leaf rachises (3–)5–17 cm; corollas white or creamy white. | → 3 |
3. Inflorescences 7–15 cm; leaflet blades villous-tomentose abaxially, appressed- pubescent adaxially. | S. leachiana |
3. Inflorescences 20–80 cm; leaflet blades sericeous abaxially, glabrous adaxially. | S. nuttalliana |
KS Wildflowers
SW CO Wildflowers
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
OR
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
