Herbs to 0.5 m, glabrous or puberulent. Stems deflexed in flower. Leaves petiolate; stipules persistent, ovate to lanceolate, 10–30 mm; petiole 5–14 mm mid stem; leaflets 3, blades ellip­tic to oblanceolate or broadly lanceolate to cuneate-obovate. Racemes 8–30-flowered, axillary, ascending to horizontal, secund, bracteate, bracts persistent. Pedicels 10–18 mm. Flowers 20–25 mm; calyx 8–12 mm, glabrous or puberulent; corolla cream or pale yellow, 18–23 mm. Legumes ascending, ellipsoid-lanceoloid to lanceoloid, 30–45 × 15–20 mm, ± papery, puberulent to glabrate. Seeds 20–50. 2n = 18.

Phenology: Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat: Pine and pine-oak wood­lands, sandy soils.
Elevation: 100–300 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Ala., Ga., Mass., N.J., N.C., S.C.

Discussion

Baptisia bracteata is very similar to B. leucophaea; it has mid stem leaves with longer petioles (5–14 versus 1–4 mm) and shorter flowering pedicels (10–18 versus 25–40 mm).

Baptisia bracteata forms hybrids and backcrosses with B. lactea and perhaps other species with which it might co-occur. No doubt such intermingling accounts for the exceptional variation found in B. bracteata (R. L. Wilbur 1963c).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.