Herbs or shrubs, perennial, to 1–2 m. Stems erect. Leaves (1.5–)2–9(–11.5) cm; petiole (7–)10–15 mm; extrafloral nec­tary 0, sticky glandular hairs present; leaflets 2 pairs, blades obovate and apices obtuse to rhombic-elliptic or -ovate and apices acute, 8–46 × 5–28 mm. Racemes usually 8–20-flowered, terminal. Pedicels 1.5–4 mm; bracteoles persistent or late caducous, proximal to calyx. Flowers: calyx pale green, sometimes red-tinged, sepal venation reticulate; corolla yellow, fading orange brownish or orange reddish, petals to 4.3–7.2 mm; stamens (2 or)3 or 4, staminodes sometimes 1 or 2; anthers yellow, 1.1–2.8 mm; ovary usually hairy. Legumes straight or slightly curved, linear, 22–50 × 5–8 mm. Seeds 3.4–5.1 mm. 2n = 28.

Phenology: Flowering late summer–early spring.
Habitat: Grasslands, disturbed savannas, open places in deciduous forests, stony or sandy arid to semiarid vegetation.
Elevation: 0–1500 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Introduced; Ariz., Mexico (Baja California Sur, Jalisco, Nayarit, Sinaloa, Sonora), Central America (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras).

Discussion

Variety meonandra may be native to the Americas (R. McVaugh 1987), but it may be that its ancestor colonized North America through long-distance dispersal from Africa, where var. absus is considered to be native. Variety absus is characterized by a 5-merous androecium, in which 1–3 (fertile) stamens are often smaller in size (H. S. Irwin and R. C. Barneby 1977, 1982).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.