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Fabaceae
Lespedeza

not marked as a favorite taxon Lespedeza repens (Linnaeus) W.P.C. Barton. Common name: Smooth Trailing Lespedeza, Creeping Lespedeza. Phenology: May-Sep; Aug-Nov. Habitat: Woodlands and woodland borders. Distribution: CT and NY west to n. OH, s. WI, MO, and KS, south to n. peninsular FL, Panhandle FL, and c. TX. Also in Nuevo León, Mexico (Villasenor 2016).

Glossary (beta!)

Subgenus: Lespedeza. Section: Lespedeza. clade: E.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, F, Fl3, FNA11.1, G, GrPl, Il, K4, Mo3, NcTx, NE, NS, NY, Pa, POWO, RAB, S, S13, SE3, Tat, Tn, Tx, Va, W, WH3, WV, Clewell (1966a), Clewell (1966b), Isely (1998); Hedysarum repens Linnaeus. Basionym: Hedysarum repens L. 1753

Links to other floras: = Lespedeza repens - FNA11.1

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Heliophily ⓘ: 7

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image #1 of Lespedeza repens© Alan Cressler: Lespedeza repens, Coosa Valley Prairies, Floyd County, Georgia 2 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
image #2 of Lespedeza repens© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
image #3 of Lespedeza repens© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷
image #6 of Lespedeza repens© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image #8 of Lespedeza repens© Sonnia Hill | Original Image ⭷
image #9 of Lespedeza repens© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷
image #10 of Lespedeza repens© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷
image #11 of Lespedeza repens© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Trailing-reclining perennial of dry upland woodlands, clearings and woodland borders.

Stems: Stems few-many, slender and covered with with straight hairs pressed close to stem; forms loose mats.

Leaves: Leaves alternate and well spaced, short-petiolate, divided into 3 elliptic to oblong-oval leaflets, each to 1 in. long, blunt-tipped and sparsely to densely hairy.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers in racemes of about 4-6 on stalks from upper leaf axils, pinkish-white to pale purple, about 1/4 in. long, bilaterally symmetric and with typical pea-flower shape, including an erect banner petal streaked with maroon.

Fruits: Fruit a flattened, broadly elliptical pod with pointed tip, containing a single seed.

Comments:

Height: 1-3 ft.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Trailing-reclining perennial of dry upland woodlands, clearings and woodland borders.

stems: Stems few-many, slender and covered with with straight hairs pressed close to stem; forms loose mats.

leaves: Leaves alternate and well spaced, short-petiolate, divided into 3 elliptic to oblong-oval leaflets, each to 1 in. long, blunt-tipped and sparsely to densely hairy.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers in racemes of about 4-6 on stalks from upper leaf axils, pinkish-white to pale purple, about 1/4 in. long, bilaterally symmetric and with typical pea-flower shape, including an erect banner petal streaked with maroon.

fruits: Fruit a flattened, broadly elliptical pod with pointed tip, containing a single seed.

comments:

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: eastern United States