Herbs, 0.2–0.4 m, finely gray-tomentose, rhizomatous. Leaves: rachis 8–17 cm; leaflets 16–21, blades obovate to oblong, 1.5–2.6 cm, surfaces villous-tomentose abaxially, appressed-pubescent adaxially. Inflorescences 14–64-flowered, lax, 7–15 cm; bracteoles 1 or 2. Pedicels 2–6 mm. Flowers divergent or soon declined, 13–16 mm; calyx tubular-campanulate, asym­metrically pouched, 6–8 mm; corolla creamy white; ovary pubescent. Legumes light brown, cylindric, fusiform, or torulose, 3–4 × 0.4 cm, leathery. Seeds 1 or 2, often dull mustard-yellow, sometimes light brown, 4–5 mm. 2n = 36, 54.

Phenology: Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat: Open mixed forests, roadsides.
Elevation: 400–500 m.

Distribution

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Oreg.

Discussion

Sophora leachiana is known from the Siskiyou Mountains of Josephine County along the drainages of Briggs, Galice, and Taylor creeks, in dry, often disturbed sites, both natural and human-derived, and surrounded by pine, Douglas-fir, oak, and hardwood forests. It aggressively colonizes open areas and dies out once the forest cover is reestablished; seed-set is low (C. A. Crowder 1978). Sophora leachiana is hypothesized to be closely related to the North American species S. nuttalliana and S. stenophylla, and to the Asian species S. alopecuroides Linnaeus (Crowder 1982).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.