Shrubs or trees, unarmed. Stems erect, twigs densely pubescent or glabrescent. Leaves alternate, odd-pinnate; stipules present, caducous, linear to deltate; petiolate, petiole 1–1.5 cm; leaflets 5–13[–17], alternate to subopposite, stipels minute or absent, linear, blade leathery, margins entire, thickened, surfaces pubescent or glabrescent. Inflorescences 2–15[–75]-flowered, terminal or axillary, racemes; bracts present, caducous; bracteoles persistent or caducous, 2. Flowers papilionaceous; calyx campanulate (sometimes gibbous), lobes 5, sometimes connate adaxially; corolla usually purple, blue-purple, lilac, or lavender [violet], rarely white, glabrous; keel petals usually partly connate; stamens 10, distinct or connate proximally; anthers dorsifixed. Fruits legumes, stipitate, torose to torulose, straight to slightly curved, compressed and oblong, or subglobose to cylindrical, indehiscent, papery, leathery, or woody, appressed-pubescent. Seeds 1–10, usually red or dull red to reddish brown, rarely orange or yellow, reniform to subglobose, margins angular. x = 9.

Distribution

sc, sw United States, Mexico.

Discussion

Species 6 (3 in the flora).

Two other generic names have been used for taxa now placed in Dermatophyllum, in addition to their placement in Sophora: Agastianis Rafinesque and Calia Terán & Berlandier (G. P. Yakovlev 1968). Agastianis is superfluous and an illegitimate substitute for the nomenclaturally rejected name Broussonetia Ortega (1798). Calia is considered a later homonym of Calea Linnaeus (1763, Asteraceae; K. N. Gandhi et al. 2011).

Dermatophyllum is a segregate from Sophora. It is considered distinct from Sophora by its woody habit; thick, leathery leaflets; blue, violet, or white petals; calyx with obvious teeth or lobes; flattened to terete legumes; and geographic range. The distinction is supported by molecular data indicating that Dermatophyllum (as Calia) falls into a separate clade from Styphnolobium and other Sophora species (K. N. Gandhi et al. 2011; G. P. Lewis et al. 2005; R. T. Pennington et al. 2001; M. F. Wojciechowski et al. 2004).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Dermatophyllum arizonicum, Dermatophyllum guadalupense, Dermatophyllum secundiflorum

Key

1	Leaflet blades (2–)2.5–5(–8) cm; pedicels 10–15 mm; legumes woody, subglobose to cylin­drical, torulose.	Dermatophyllum secundiflorum
1	Leaflet blades 1–2.5(–4) cm; pedicels 2–5 mm; legumes papery to almost leathery, compressed and oblong, torose.	> 2
2	Leaflets 5–11, blades lanceolate to elliptic, apices acute, apiculate; floral bracts lance- olate, apices acute.	Dermatophyllum arizonicum
2	Leaflets 9–13, blades elliptic to ovate, apices rounded, often emarginate, rarely apiculate; floral bracts lanceolate to elliptic, apices acute to rounded, abruptly apiculate.	Dermatophyllum guadalupense