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Fabaceae
Lespedeza

not marked as a favorite taxon Lespedeza virginica (Linnaeus) Britton. Common name: Virginia Lespedeza, Slender Bush-clover. Phenology: Jul-Sep; Aug-Nov. Habitat: Longleaf pine sandhills, woodlands, and woodland borders. Distribution: MA and NH west to MI, WI, IA, and KS, south to Panhandle FL and c. TX.

Glossary (beta!)

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

Origin/Endemic status: Native

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

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

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Heliophily ⓘ: 8

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image #1 of Lespedeza virginica© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image #2 of Lespedeza virginica© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
image #3 of Lespedeza virginica© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image #4 of Lespedeza virginica© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image #5 of Lespedeza virginica© Bruce Sorrie | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Erect perennial of sandhills, woodlands and woodland borders.

Stems: Stems 1-a few, slender, with erect branches and smooth to hairy.

Leaves: Leaves alternate and crowded; short-petiolate; divided into 3 narrowly elliptic or linear leaflets, each to 1 in. long and bearing a tiny point at the tip, typically covered in short, close-pressed hairs.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers in racemes of 4-10 on tiny stalks from upper leaf axils, rose pink to purplish, about 1/4 in. long, bilaterally symmetric and with typical pea-flower shape, including an erect banner-petal with darker pink streaking. There are also inconspicuous closed flowers lower on the stem.

Fruits: Fruit a flattened, round to elliptic pod containing a single seed.

Comments:

Height: 1-2 1/2 ft.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Erect perennial of sandhills, woodlands and woodland borders.

stems: Stems 1-a few, slender, with erect branches and smooth to hairy.

leaves: Leaves alternate and crowded; short-petiolate; divided into 3 narrowly elliptic or linear leaflets, each to 1 in. long and bearing a tiny point at the tip, typically covered in short, close-pressed hairs.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers in racemes of 4-10 on tiny stalks from upper leaf axils, rose pink to purplish, about 1/4 in. long, bilaterally symmetric and with typical pea-flower shape, including an erect banner-petal with darker pink streaking. There are also inconspicuous closed flowers lower on the stem.

fruits: Fruit a flattened, round to elliptic pod containing a single seed.

comments:

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range:



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