Shrubs, to 3(–5) m. Leaves meso­phyllous, 5–13 cm, glabrous or glabrate; stipules cadu­cous; extrafloral nectaries 1(or 2), between first, rarely also subsequent, leaflet pairs, sessile; leaflet pairs 4 or 5(–7), blades obovate or oblanceolate to elliptic-oblanceolate, 25–65 × 9–23 mm. Racemes usually 4–35-flowered; bracts caducous. Pedicels 8–33 mm. Flowers monosymmetric; calyx yellowish; corolla golden yellow, longest petal 16–26 mm; androecium heterantherous, stamens 7, middle sta­mens 1/2 as long as abaxial or smaller, staminodes 3; anthers of middle stamens to 5–7 mm, of abaxial stamens 7–10 mm, dehiscing by U-shaped pore, apical appendage inconspicuous; gynoecium incurved, ovules 70–96; ovary hairy; style slightly incurved. Legumes somewhat pendulous, subcylindrical, straight, 90–160 × 9–16 mm, corrugated over seeds, indehiscent. Seeds obliquely obovoid, brown or dark reddish brown.

Phenology: Flowering late winter–early summer.
Habitat: Grasslands, disturbed woodlands, roadsides.
Elevation: 0–100 m.

Distribution

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Introduced; Fla., Tex., South America (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay).

Discussion

Variety glabrata is native to South American grass­lands. Among southeastern South American varieties, var. glabrata belongs with var. missionum H. S. Irwin & Barneby (endemic to northeast Argentina) and var. recondita H. S. Irwin & Barneby (endemic to coastal southeast Brazil) to a group characterized by a longer style (5–10 mm) compared to that of the other varieties in the region, var. ambigua and var. paludicola H. S. Irwin & Barneby (1.5–5 mm). The subcylindrical fruits distinguish var. glabrata from the other two varieties that have laterally compressed fruits (H. S. Irwin and R. C. Barneby 1982).

The Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (https://www.fleppc.org/) listed var. glabrata as a Category I weedy species, meaning that it is invading and disrupting native plant communities in Florida. According to H. S. Irwin and R. C. Barneby (1982), the Mexican and Central American var. ovalifolia H. S. Irwin & Barneby may have escaped from cultivation in Florida, as well as occurring as an adventive in the very south of Texas. However, var. ovalifolia is not repor

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.