Copy permalink to share
Fabaceae
Stylosanthes

not marked as a favorite taxon Stylosanthes biflora (Linnaeus) Britton, Sterns, & Poggenburg. Common name: Pencil-flower. Phenology: Jun-Aug; Jul-Oct. Habitat: Longleaf pine sandhills, dry to moist (but not wet) pine savannas and flatwoods, dry forests, woodlands, woodland borders, glades, barrens, rock outcrops. Distribution: S. NY west to OH, s. IL, and KS, south to c. peninsular FL and e. TX.

Glossary (beta!)

Section: Astyposanthes.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: Mohlenbrock (1957) studied the very substantial variation in this species and did not choose to recognize variation taxonomically (see synonymy); a modern re-evaluation is warranted.

Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, FNA11.1, GrPl, Il, K4, Mo3, NcTx, NS, NY, Pa, POWO, RAB, SE3, Tn, Tx, Va, W, WH3, WV, Isely (1998), Mohlenbrock (1957); > Stylosanthes biflora (L.) Britton, Sterns, & Poggenb. var. biflora — F, G, S, S13, Tat; > Stylosanthes biflora (L.) Britton, Sterns, & Poggenb. var. hispidissima (Michx.) Pollard & Ball — F, G, S, S13, Tat; > Stylosanthes riparia Kearney — G, S, S13, Tat; > Stylosanthes riparia Kearney var. riparia — F; > Stylosanthes riparia Kearney var. setifera Fernald — F; Trifolium biflorum Linnaeus. Basionym: Trifolium biflorum L. 1753

Links to other floras: = Stylosanthes biflora - FNA11.1

Show in key(s)

Show parent genus | Show parent in key(s)

Heliophily ⓘ: 7

Your browser does not support SVGs

Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend.

image #1 of Stylosanthes biflora© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image #2 of Stylosanthes biflora© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #3 of Stylosanthes biflora© Sonnia Hill | Original Image ⭷
image #4 of Stylosanthes biflora© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image #5 of Stylosanthes biflora© Joey Shaw source | Original Image ⭷
image #6 of Stylosanthes biflora© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷

Feedback

See something missing or incorrect about Stylosanthes biflora? Let us know here:
  1. Please include your name and if possible, email in case when need to clarify what you wrote.
  2. If you opt out of including email, please be as specific as possible (e.g., which photo is incorrect?)
  3. Please do not submit questions asking to identify plants or about horticultural topics (e.g., how do I control an invasive plant in my garden?). Instead, those questions can be submitted here for the Carolinas region only.
  4. Please do not send us feedback about unkeyed species as this work is ongoing.
  5. Please allow time for flora edits to show in our next data release. We greatly appreciate your feedback but may require extra time to research complicated taxonomic issues.

Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Erect to sprawling perennial of sandhills, dry to moist (but not wet) pine savannas and flatwoods, dry forests, woodlands, woodland borders, glades, barrens and rock outcrops.

Stems: Stems branched from the base, sometimes prostrate, usually covered with long, stiff, reddish hairs.

Leaves: Leaves alternate, on petioles with stipules that sheath the stem, divided into 3 elliptic to lance-shaped leaflets, each ½-1½ in. long with a sharp tip and usually very hairy.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers in terminal and axillary clusters of 2-6, yellow, about 1/3 in. long, with typical pea-flower shape, including an erect "banner" petal that is often streaked with red.

Fruits: Fruit a hairy, sessile, oval pod with 2 segments.

Comments:

Height: 4-20 in.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Erect to sprawling perennial of sandhills, dry to moist (but not wet) pine savannas and flatwoods, dry forests, woodlands, woodland borders, glades, barrens and rock outcrops.

stems: Stems branched from the base, sometimes prostrate, usually covered with long, stiff, reddish hairs.

leaves: Leaves alternate, on petioles with stipules that sheath the stem, divided into 3 elliptic to lance-shaped leaflets, each ½-1½ in. long with a sharp tip and usually very hairy.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers in terminal and axillary clusters of 2-6, yellow, about 1/3 in. long, with typical pea-flower shape, including an erect "banner" petal that is often streaked with red.

fruits: Fruit a hairy, sessile, oval pod with 2 segments.

comments:

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: eastern United States



0 unsaved edits on this page.