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endbeak pencilflower, pencil-flower, sidebeak pencilflower

poorman's friend, viscid pencil-flower

Stems

herbaceous, erect or spreading, much branched, to 6 dm, glabrous, puberulent, or densely hispid.

herbaceous, ascending and spreading or prostrate and matted, much branched, to 10 dm, densely pubescent with short, viscid hairs.

Leaves

stipular sheath 8–15-veined, glabrous or puberulent to densely hispid, teeth of distal stipules mostly shorter than sheath;

petiole 1–3 mm;

leaflet blades ovate to elliptic or lanceolate, 40–20 mm, veins 3–6 pairs, base cuneate, margins sometimes spinulose, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces sometimes punctate abaxially, glabrous.

stipular sheath 3–5-veined, teeth of distal stipules shorter than sheath;

petiole 2.5–5 mm;

leaflet blades elliptic to lanceolate, 25 × 5 mm, viscid, veins 2–4 pairs, base cuneate, margins entire, apex acute or obtuse, surfaces punctate abaxially, short-hairy or hispidulous.

Inflorescences

1–8-flowered, ovoid, to 1 cm, axis rudiment absent;

bracts usually 1-foliolate, sometimes 3-foliolate proximally, 3–6 × 2.5–5.5 mm, 5–9-veined, puberulent to densely hispid;

outer bracteole 2–3 mm, apex glabrous or ciliate;

inner bracteole 1, 1–2.5 mm, apex glabrous or ciliate.

2–5-flowered, ovoid, to 2 cm, axis rudiment absent;

outer bracts 3-foliolate, inner bracts 1-foliolate, sheath 5–7-veined, hispidulous and viscid abaxially;

outer bracteole 2.5–3 mm, apex ciliate;

inner bracteole 1, 2.5–3 mm, apex ciliate.

Flowers

calyx tube 2.5–5 mm, lobes ± acute;

corolla yellow or orange-yellow;

banner suborbiculate, 4.5–7 mm;

wings 3.5–4.5 mm;

keel 3–4 mm.

calyx tube 3–7 mm, lobes acute;

corolla yellow;

banner suborbiculate, 4–7 mm;

wings 4–5 mm;

keel 3–4 mm.

Seeds

1–1.5 mm.

1–1.5 mm.

Loments

strongly reticulate with vertical veins, 2.5–3 mm wide;

fertile segment 1;

proximal segment sterile;

distal segment 2.5–5 mm, puberulent;

beak hooked, 0.5–1 mm, to 1/5 distal segment.

reticulate, to 2.5 mm wide;

fertile segment 1;

proximal segment sterile;

distal segment 2–4 mm, short-hairy;

beak strongly hooked, 0.5–1.5 mm, to 1/2 distal segment, often curled, short-hairy.

2n

= 20.

Stylosanthes biflora

Stylosanthes viscosa

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Dry, open, rocky or sandy wood­lands, borders, barrens, moist pine savannas, old fields, roadsides. Sandy prairies, rocky slopes.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.) 20–2000 m. (100–6600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; DC; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WI; WV; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

In the flora area, Stylosanthes viscosa is documented from Mohave County in Arizona, and Brooks, Calhoun, Denton, Kenedy, Kleberg, Neuces, and San Patricio counties in Texas.

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

Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Stylosanthes Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Stylosanthes
Sibling taxa
S. calcicola, S. hamata, S. humilis, S. viscosa
S. biflora, S. calcicola, S. hamata, S. humilis
Synonyms Trifolium biflorum, S. floridana, S. riparia Hedysarum hamatum var. viscosum
Name authority (Linnaeus) Britton: Sterns & Poggenburg, Prelim. Cat., 13. (1888) (Linnaeus) Swartz: Prodr., 108. (1788)
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