Flora of North America species comparison

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Sophora nuttalliana

Sophora stenophylla

silky sophora, white loco, white sophora

blue sophora, fringeleaf necklacepod, silvery sophora
Habit Herbs, 0.1–0.4(–0.7) m, sericeous to irregularly spreading-pubescent, rhizomatous. Herbs, 0.1–0.4 m, sericeous to subvillous, 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.

rachis 2–4 cm;

leaflets 9–15, blades narrowly linear, 0.5–3 cm, surfaces subsericeous.
Inflorescences

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

bracteoles 2.

5–35-flowered, crowded or loose, 5–20 cm;

bracteoles 0.
Pedicels

1–2  mm.

5–6 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.

ascending-divergent, 16–25 mm;

calyx broadly campanulate, asymmetrically pouched, 5–9 mm;

corolla purple, fading blue;

ovary pubescent.
Legumes

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

tan to light brown, cylindric, torulose, 2–6 × 0.6–0.8 cm, papery to almost leathery.
Seeds

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

1–6, mustard-yellow, 6–7 mm.
2n

= 36.

Sophora nuttalliana

Sophora stenophylla
Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Grasslands, plains, rocky hill­sides, stream beds, canyon floors. Deep sand, dunes, with sage, juniper, and Ephedra.
Elevation 500–2100 m. (1600–6900 ft.) 900–1900 m. (3000–6200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; KS; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; UT; WY; Mexico (Chihuahua)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; UT
[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.)

Sophora stenophylla is known from Utah in all counties from Uintah County southwestward to Washington County and counties east, from the three northeastern counties (Apache, Coconino, and Navajo) of Arizona, and from northwestern and south-central New Mexico. The species has pleasantly fragrant flowers. It grows in dunes or areas of loose to compacted sands.

A report of Sophora stenophylla from Nevada (V. E. Rudd 1972) could not be verified.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Sophora Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Sophora
Sibling taxa
S. leachiana, S. stenophylla, S. tomentosa
S. leachiana, S. nuttalliana, S. tomentosa
Synonyms S. sericea, Patrinia sericea, Pseudosophora sericea, Radiusia sericea, Vexibia nuttalliana, V. sericea Vexibia stenophylla
Name authority B. L. Turner: Field & Lab. 24: [42]. (1956) A. Gray in J. C. Ives: Rep. Colorado R. 4: 10. (1861)
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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