Neptunia plena

Herbs semiaquatic or terrestrial, usually in wet habitats. Stems erect to ascending or floating, often procumbent near water’s edge, often highly branched, submergent stems often inflated and rooting at nodes. Leaves: stipules cordate-clasping; petiole 1–2.5 cm, with a prominent discoid gland at base of, or proximal to, proximalmost pinnae pair; pinnae 2–4(or 5) pairs; leaflets 18–70, blades 3–6(–14) mm, without raised-reticulate venation abaxially or veins obscured, margins eciliate. Peduncles 5–8 cm. Spikes 30–60-flowered, ovoid; bracts 2, cordate-clasping, 4–8 × 3–8 mm. Flowers dimorphic, proximal with flattened, petaloid staminodes, distal anther-bearing; calyx 1.5–2.5 mm. Legumes 7–12 mm wide, base attenuate to stipe; stipe 3–9 mm, longer than calyx. Seeds 6–20. 2n = 72, 78.

Phenology: Flowering Aug–Oct.
Habitat: Wet habitats, ephemeral lakes, ponds in highway medians.
Elevation: 0–20 m.

Introduced; Tex., Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, introduced also in Asia.

Discussion

Neptunia plena is known only from Kenedy County; it was first collected there in 1938 and was collected again in 2007 from a different location in the county.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa