Herbs caulescent, to 100 cm, mostly glandular throughout and strigose or canescent. Stems usually 1, rarely 2, erect, unbranched proximally to much branched distally, leaves dispersed along distal branches; pseudoscapes 0; cataphylls 6–11 mm (when present), glabrous. Leaves palmately 1 or 3-foliolate; stipules absent; petiole not swollen or jointed basally, slightly canaliculate, (0 or)2–6(–10) mm, usually shorter than petiolule, rarely to 1 mm longer, strigose; petiolules often adnate to leaf spur, 5–9 mm; leaflet blades broadly elliptic to obovate or oblanceolate to orbiculate, 3–5 × 2–3.2 cm, base attenuate, apex acute to rounded, surfaces abaxially densely canescent, adaxially glabrous or glabrate. Peduncles 2.7–8.2 cm, longer than subtend­ing petiole, canescent. Inflorescences persistent, loose, much of rachis exposed, ovoid-ellipsoid or shortly elongate; rachis loose, 1.5–5.5 cm, elongating in fruit, nodes (2 or)3–6, 3 flowers per node; bracts persistent or tardily deciduous, lanceolate to broadly elliptic, 7–12 × 4–5 mm, appressed-pubescent to canescent. Pedicels 4–5 mm. Flowers 11–16 mm; calyx broadly campanulate in fruit, 8–12 mm abaxially, 7–9 mm adaxially, glandular, strigulose to canescent; tube 3–5 mm; lobes triangular or narrowly elliptic, abaxial 4.5–6 × 2.5 mm, adaxial 2–3.5 × 1.5–2 mm; corolla blue to blue-purple, sometimes fading yellowish green, banner oblanceolate, 11–15 × 6–8 mm with claw 3–5 mm, wings 10–13 × 2.5–3 mm with claw 4–5 mm, keel 7.5–9 × 2–2.5 mm with claw 4–5 mm; filaments 9–9.5 mm; anthers broadly elliptic, 0.5 mm; ovary glabrous or pubescent, style pubescent on proximal 1/2. Legumes ellipsoid, 5–6 × 4–5 mm, densely glandular, pubescent, beak 4–6 mm, equal to or slightly shorter than calyx. Seed gray-green to red-brown, reniform, 4–5 × 3–4 mm.

Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Sandy soils, open woodlands, pine barrens.
Elevation: 0–200 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Ala., Fla., Ga., N.C., S.C., Va.

Discussion

Pediomelum canescens is found only in the Atlantic Coastal Plain in Florida and southern portions of Alabama and Georgia, with isolated populations known from the Carolinas and Sussex County, Virginia. It is well distinguished within the genus by the petioles being shorter than petiolules, particularly in middle and distal leaves.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.