Baptisia nuttalliana Small

  • Authority

    Isely, Duane. 1981. Leguminosae of the United States. III. Subfamily Papilionoideae: tribes Sophoreae, Podalyrieae, Loteae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25 (3): 1-264.

  • Family

    Fabaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Baptisia nuttalliana Small

  • Description

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    Species Description - Bushy-branched, glabrate, erect herb from heavy, woody crown, well-developed plants forming spherical "shrubs" 6-9 dm diam. Stems solitary or few-clustered; branches numerous, ascending or divaricate; young growth puberulent. Leaves subsessile or barely stalked; leaflets obovate, elliptic to oblanceolate, 2.5-6(-8) cm, 1.5-2.6 r, coriaceous, reticulate, somewhat shiny above. Stipules small, setaceous, deciduous. Flowers 1.7-2 cm, solitary in upper axils without bracts; or in short, terminal 1-4 flowered racemes and subtended by filiform, deciduous bracts or reduced 1-foliate leaves; commonly falling after anthesis without setting fruit. Pedicels 2-5 mm. Calyx 5-8 mm, pubescent; lobes 2-3 mm, ca. .5 r, subequal. Corolla yellow, sometimes with purple blotching. Ovary stipitate ca. 2 mm; body tapering-ovoid (-oblong), villous with upwardly directed hairs ca. 1 mm; ovules ca. 10; style glabrous. Legume ascending, initially lanate and shortly oblong-ovoid, at maturity becoming "ball-like," ovoid (-lancoid) to subspheroid, slightly laterally compressed, .8-1.3 cm x (.5-).8-1.2 cm; valves flanged, black and woody, finally glabrate. Seeds few.

  • Discussion

    B. uniflora (Michx.) Hook, sensu Hook. (1835) non basionym. ? Lasinia fulva Raf. (1837) pro parte. B. lanceolata var [gamma] T. & G. (1840); B. lanceolata var uniflora T. & G. ex Canby (1879). B. lanceolata var texana Holz. (1893); B. texana (Holz.) Poll. & Ball (1900) non Buckl. (1861); B. confusa Poll. & Ball (1900) non Sweet (1832); B. nuttalliana Small (1903). B. nucilifera Greene (1910). Baptisia nuttalliana is unique in its region in its mostly axillary flowers. It hybridizes with several other species, most evidently B. bracteata (Alston and Turner, 1963). It often fruits but poorly, and large populations that are almost entirely sterile are commonly seen.

  • Distribution

    E Texas and contiguous Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Dry hardwood or oak-pine woodlands, open pastures, prairie openings, roadsides, and similar disturbed areas; less frequently in moist woodlands or bottoms; sandy to dry soils; abundant and conspicuous, often forming extensive stands. (March-) April-May.

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