Herbs to 1.5 m, glabrous. Leaves petiolate; stipules cadu­cous, lanceolate, very small; petiole 15–20 mm; leaflets 3, blades elliptic. Racemes 4–10(–12)-flowered, terminal, not secund, ebracteate. Pedicels 8–15 mm. Flowers 20–24 mm; calyx 8–10 mm, glabrous; corolla yellow or pale yellow, 18–22 mm. Legumes mostly pendent, tan or brownish, inflated, broadly ellipsoid, 30–40 × 20–30 mm, leathery or brittle. Seeds 10–25.

Phenology: Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat: Silty or silty clay, waterlogged soils along streams.
Elevation: 10–50 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Ala., Fla., Ga.

Discussion

As noted by D. Isely (1981), Baptisia megacarpa is a relatively localized endemic superficially similar to the white-flowered B. lactea but readily distinguished by a number of characters, such as its yellow flowers and the thin walls and pale color of the fruits. In the DNA studies of M. G. Mendenhall (1994), B. megacarpa forms a clade with the B. alba-B. australis-B. lactea-B. sphaerocarpa complex.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.