Herbs erect, to 1 m, glabrous or pubescent. Leaves blackening upon drying, petiolate; stipules mostly deciduous, lanceolate, 10–30 mm; petiole 5–14 mm; leaflets 3, blades oval to broadly oblanceolate. Racemes 5–20-flowered, axillary, secund, bracteate, bracts deciduous. Pedicels 4–8 mm. Flowers 21–29 mm; calyx 6–8 mm, glabrous or puberulent; corolla yellow, 20–28 mm. Legumes ascending, ovoid, 20–30 × 6–10 mm, papery to ± woody. Seeds 2–4.

Phenology: Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat: Pine and pine-oak woodlands, sandy soils.
Elevation: 0–100 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

N.C., S.C., Va.

Discussion

Baptisia cinerea closely resembles B. bracteata; the floral bracts in B. cinerea are deciduous (versus persistent in B. bracteata), pedicels are shorter (4–8 versus 10–18 mm), legumes are smaller (2–3 versus 3–4 cm) with appressed (versus spreading) hairs, and leaflets are larger and readily blacken upon drying.

Baptisia cinerea and B. bracteata are essentially allopatric. Hybrids between B. cinerea and other species of Baptisia have not been reported; occasional hybrids between B. cinerea and others (for example, B. lactea) would not be surprising.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.