Securigera varia

Stems 20–120 cm. Leaves 5–16 × 2–4 cm; stipules linear to oblong, 1–6 mm; leaflet blades oblong or elliptic, 6–25 × 2.5–12 mm, margins narrowly scarious, brownish or purplish resinous-punctate adaxially, apex mucronate. Peduncles 4–14 cm. Inflorescences 2–3.5 cm. Pedicels 2–5 mm; bracteoles distinct, linear, 1–2 mm, dark-tipped. Flowers: calyx 2.2–4 mm, lobes 0.7–1 mm; corolla (8–)10–15 mm. Loments 20–60(–80) × 1.5–2.2 mm; segments 2–10(–12), oblong, 4–6 mm, 4-angled in cross-section. Seeds 3.5–4 × 1–1.5 mm. 2n = 24.

Phenology: Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, pine or pine-oak woodlands, waste places.
Elevation: 10–2400 m.

Introduced; Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Ala., Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Wyo, c, s Europe, sw Asia, introduced also in ne Mexico, South America, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), se Australia.

Discussion

Securigera varia has been cultivated for fodder; in recent years, it has been extensively planted on banks and roadsides to control erosion, from where it frequently spreads to fields and waste places. In some midwestern states, it has spread into upland prairies, glades, and watersheds; because of this it is considered an invasive exotic (G. Yatskievych, pers. comm.).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa