Shrubs or suffrutescent herbs, 1–3 m; arising from compact, woody root. Stems longi­tudinally grooved and ridged, eglandular, mostly puberulent, canescent, or tomentose, some­times glabrate. Leaves (10–)20–40 cm; stipules linear, 2–3 mm, eglandular, pubescent; petiole (20–)30–60(–90) mm, eglandular, puberulent, canescent, or tomentose; rachis eglandular, puberulent or canescent; leaflets (9–)11–19, stipels acicular, 1–2 mm, petiolule (2–)4–10 mm, sparsely gland-dotted, usually pilosulous proximally, glabrous distally, blade narrowly elliptic to oblong or ovate, 15–30(–50) × (14–)18–22(–26) mm, base round, margins flat, entire, apex round, surfaces sparsely gland-dotted abaxially, canescent to tomentose or glabrate abaxially, usually puberulent to glabrate or glabrous adaxially; veins conspicuous, distinctly raised abaxially; midvein terminated by a slender mucro, 0.5–1.8 mm. Racemes (1–)5–12-branched, paniculiform, (5–)15–30(–40) cm; rachis eglandular, short-pilose; bracteoles linear, 1–2 mm, eglandular, short-pilose. Pedicels 1–2 mm, eglandular, short-pilose. Flowers: calyx tube funnelform, 1.8–2.2 mm, distal 1/3 gland-dotted, usually short-pilose, rarely glabrate; lobes: abaxial lobe linear to narrowly lanceolate, adaxial lobes usually triangular to ovate, (1–)1.2–2 mm; banner purple, broadly obcordate, 5–7 × 3–4 mm, indistinctly clawed, margins entire or slightly erose; filaments 5–6 mm, connate basally 2.5–3 mm; anthers orange; ovary glabrous. Legumes sessile, 4–6(–8) × 2–2.5 mm, margins curved outward abaxially, bent outward adaxially, gland-dotted, glabrous. Seeds reddish brown, 3–3.5 × 1.5–1.8 mm, smooth.

Phenology: Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat: Moist, acid thickets, bogs, and swamps.
Elevation: 10–300 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Ark., La., Okla., Tex.

Discussion

Amorpha paniculata is listed as threatened in Arkansas and as a species of concern in Oklahoma.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.