Taxonomy
Family: Fabaceae
Habitat
Moist, open areas of woods and meadows, swamps, fens, shores.
Associates
Distribution
Circumboreal. In the U.S. occurs from New England west to MN, and south GA to LA.
Morphology
Climbing, perennial herb, to 1 m high. Stems winged. Leaflets usually 3 to 4 pairs, stipules entire to serrate, lanceolate to lance-ovate, with a single, sharply acute lobe at the base. Flowers magenta-violet, fewer than 10 to a raceme; calyx smooth.
Notes
Flowers late May to September.
Wetland indicator: Facultative Wetland
There are several recognized varieties. The var. myrtifolius (Muhl.) A. Gray occurs around the Great Lakes and is glabrous throughout, with wingless stems and 4-6 short flowers per raceme.
Bibliography
Gleason, Henry A.
and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States
and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY.
Swink, F. and G. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.
Michael Hough © 2009 |