Tephrosia virginiana

Species of legume From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tephrosia virginiana

Tephrosia virginiana, also known as goat-rue, goat's rue,[3] catgut,[3] rabbit pea,[3] Virginia tephrosia,[3] hoary pea,[4] and devil's shoestring[5] is a perennial dicot in family Fabaceae. The plant is native to central and eastern North America.

Quick Facts Conservation status, Scientific classification ...
Tephrosia virginiana
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Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Tephrosia
Species:
T. virginiana
Binomial name
Tephrosia virginiana
Synonyms[2]
  • Cracca holosericea (Nutt.) Britten & Baker f.
  • Cracca latidens Small
  • Cracca leucosericea Rydb.
  • Cracca virginiana L.
  • Galega virginiana (L.) L.
  • Galega virginica (L.) J.F.Gmel.
  • Tephrosia holosericea Nutt.
  • Tephrosia latidens (Small) Standl.
  • Tephrosia leucosericea (Rydb.) Cory
  • Tephrosia virginica Bigelow
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Description

This subshrub is low and bushy, growing to 60 centimetres (2 ft), but more often shorter. Its leaves are alternate and compound, usually with 8 to 15 pairs of narrow, oblong leaflets.[4] Soft white hairs on the leaves and the stem give them a silvery, or hoary, appearance.[6]

The flowers look similar to other flowers in the pea family and are bi-colored, with a pale yellow or cream upper petal (the standard), and pink petals on the bottom (the keel and wings).[5] The flowers are grouped into clusters at the top of the stems and bloom from May to August. The seed pods that form after the flowers bloom are small, approximately 5 centimetres (2 in) long.[4]

The roots are long and stringy, which is probably the source of the common names catgut and devil's shoestrings.[5]

Distribution and habitat

This plant prefers acidic soils, in part to full sun.[7] It grows throughout the Midwest, New England and southeastern United States.[8] Not easy to propagate because of the relationship it has with the acid soil it needs,[9] this plant can be found in sand savannas, open woods and glades, prairies and rocky soils.[4]

Toxicity

All tissues of this plant are toxic (containing rotenone), and should not be eaten by people or livestock. Crushed stems were previously used as a fish poison.[10]

Conservation

While ranked as secure rangewide by NatureServe,[1] T. virginiana has been listed as an endangered species in Canada under Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act since 2003.[11] Only two populations exist within black oak savanna and black oak woodland in Ontario.[11]

Historical uses

According to James Mooney, Cherokee Indian women used to wash their hair in a decoction made from its roots to prevent their hair from breaking or falling out.[12]

References

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