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Tephrosia spicata (Walter) Torrey & A. Gray. Common name: Spiked Hoarypea. Phenology: Jun-Aug; Jul-Oct. Habitat: Longleaf pine sandhills, dry oak and oak-pine woodlands and savannas. Distribution: S. DE south to s. FL, west to w. LA, north in the interior to se., sc., and sw. TN and se. KY. (POWO 2024) maps this species as also occurring in Cuba, on an unknown basis.

Origin/Endemic status: Endemic

Synonymy : = C, FNA11.1, G, K4, NS, POWO, RAB, SE3, Tat, Tn, Va, W, WH3, Wood (1949); = Cracca spicata (Walter) Kuntze — S; > Cracca flexuosa (Chapm.) A.Heller; > Cracca spicata (Walter) Kuntze — S13; > Tephrosia spicata (Walter) Torr. & A.Gray var. semitonsa Fernald — F; > Tephrosia spicata (Walter) Torr. & A.Gray var. spicata — F; Galega spicata Walter — (basionym)

Links to other floras: = Tephrosia spicata - FNA11.1

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Heliophily : 8

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image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Bruce Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Bruce Sorrie | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Reclining-sprawling to weakly erect perennial of dry, sandy woodlands and clearings.

Stems: Stems 1-many from a single crown, densely covered with rusty hairs.

Leaves: Leaves alternate, on petioles less than 1/2 in. long, 1½-3 in. long and pinnately divided into 7-17 elliptic to oblong leaflets, each to 1½ in. long and with a sharp tip; rusty hairs cover the petioles, leaf rachis and leaflet margins.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers in stalked racemes of 2-20, arising opposite leaves (uppermost one appears terminal); white turning maroon; ½-3/4 in. long; bilaterally symmetric and with typical pea-flower shape but usually not opening completely.

Fruits: Fruit a hairy, flattened and slightly curved pod.

Comments: Spreading rusty to tawny hairs conspicuously cover all parts of this plant. The similar T. hispidula is covered with less conspicuous gray hairs and has fewer flowers per raceme; it is a Southeastern Coastal Plain endemic, blooming in pine savannas May-August.

Height: 2-3 ft.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Reclining-sprawling to weakly erect perennial of dry, sandy woodlands and clearings.

stems: Stems 1-many from a single crown, densely covered with rusty hairs.

leaves: Leaves alternate, on petioles less than 1/2 in. long, 1½-3 in. long and pinnately divided into 7-17 elliptic to oblong leaflets, each to 1½ in. long and with a sharp tip; rusty hairs cover the petioles, leaf rachis and leaflet margins.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers in stalked racemes of 2-20, arising opposite leaves (uppermost one appears terminal); white turning maroon; ½-3/4 in. long; bilaterally symmetric and with typical pea-flower shape but usually not opening completely.

fruits: Fruit a hairy, flattened and slightly curved pod.

comments: Spreading rusty to tawny hairs conspicuously cover all parts of this plant. The similar T. hispidula is covered with less conspicuous gray hairs and has fewer flowers per raceme; it is a Southeastern Coastal Plain endemic, blooming in pine savannas May-August.

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: