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- Lespedeza stuevei
Lespedeza stuevei — tall bush-clover
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Facts
Tall bush-clover reaches the northeastern limit of its range in New England, where it is a rare native. It inhabits sandy soils of woodlands, clearings, barrens and roadsides.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), sandplains and barrens, woodlands
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- Flower petal color
-
- blue to purple
- pink to red
- Leaf type
- the leaves are compound (made up of two or more discrete leaflets
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Flower symmetry
- there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
-
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- there are four petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Fusion of sepals and petals
-
- both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
- the petals or the sepals are fused into a cup or tube
- Stamen number
- 10
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
- Fruit length
- 4–7 mm
-
Clonal plantlets
- Bulbils
- the plant does not appear to have bulbils
- Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
-
Flowers
- Anther opening
- the anthers have narrow slits or furrows that run lengthwise along the anthers
- Anther spurs
- the anthers do not have spurs on them
- Calyx symmetry
- there is only one way to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is bilaterally symmetrical)
- Carpels fused
-
- NA
- the carpel is solitary or (if 2 or more) the carpels are not fused to one another
- Cleistogamous flowers
-
- the plant has some cleistogamous flower
- there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan
- Corolla morphology
- NA
- Corolla palate
- no
- Corona lobe length
- 0 mm
- Epicalyx
- the flower does not have an epicalyx
- Epicalyx number of parts
- 0
- Filament surface
- the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales
- Flower description
- the flower has a superior ovary and a hypanthium
- Flower length
- 6–8 mm
- Flower petal color
-
- blue to purple
- pink to red
- Flower reproductive parts
- the flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Flower symmetry
- there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)
- Flowers sunken into stem
- no
- Form of style
- the style is knob-like at the tip, and unbranched
- Fused stamen clusters
- there are two clusters of fused stamens
- Fusion of sepals and petals
-
- both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
- the petals or the sepals are fused into a cup or tube
- Hairs on inflorescence
- the axis of the inflorescence has hairs entirely without glands
- Horns in hoods (Asclepias)
- NA
- Hypanthium
- the flower has a hypanthium
- Inflorescence one-sided
- the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks
- Inner tepals (Rumex)
- NA
- Length of flower stalk
- 0.5–3 mm
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of carpels
- 1
- Number of pistils
- 1
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
-
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- there are four petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Number of styles
- 1
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
- Petal and sepal colors
-
- blue to purple
- pink to red
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal base
- the petal narrows abruptly at the base
- Petal folding in bud
- the petals in bud are arranged in a cycle with edges overlapping like roof shingles (imbricate)
- Petal folds or pleats
-
- the petals of the flower do not have folds or plaits
- the petals of the flower have folds or plaits on them
- Petal hairs (Viola)
- NA
- Petal length
- 6–8 mm
- Petal length relative to sepals
- the petals are longer than the sepals
- Petal number
- 5
- Petal tips (Cuscuta)
- NA
- Raceme attachment (Veronica)
- NA
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)
- Scales inside corolla
- no
- Sepal and petal color
- the sepals are different from the petals
- Sepal appearance
- the sepals are green or brown, and leaf-like in texture
- Sepal appendages
- the sepals do not have appendages on them
- Sepal appendages (Oenothera)
- NA
- Sepal color
-
- green to brown
- pink to red
- Sepal length
- 1.2–3.5 mm
- Sepal number
- 5
- Sepal orientation
- the sepals are slightly curved outwards from the corolla
- Sepal shape
- the sepal outline is lanceolate (lance-shaped; narrow, gradually tapering from the base to the tip)
- Sepal texture
- the sepals are either very thin but flexible, like a membrane, or they are leaf-like in texture
- Sepal tip shape
- the sepal tip is acuminate (tapers to a very narrow point)
- Sepal uniformity
- one or more of the sepals is much narrower or shorter than the others
- Sepals fused only to sepals
- the sepals are fused to each other (not other flower parts), at least near their bases
- Stamen lengths differ
- the stamens are all approximately the same length
- Stamen morphology
- the stamens within each cycle are the same
- Stamen number
- 10
- Stamens fused
- the stamens are attached to one another at or near their bases
- Staminodes
- there are no staminodes on the flower
- Stigma position
- the stigmas are positioned at the tip of the style
- Style petal-like
- the styles are not petal-like
- Umbel flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Upper lip of bilabiate corolla
- NA
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene relative orientation
- NA
- Achene shape
- NA
- Achene surface (Polygonum)
- NA
- Achene type
- NA
- Berry color
- NA
- Capsule color (Viola)
- NA
- Capsule ribs
- NA
- Capsule splitting
-
- NA
- the capsule splits by two main valves, teeth or pores
- Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence
- NA
- Fruit features (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Fruit length
- 4–7 mm
- Fruit locules
- one
- Fruit shape
-
- the fruit is ellipsoid (widest in the middle and tapering to each end)
- the fruit is ovoid (egg-shaped)
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a legume (a fruit that splits into two valves, but only has a single carpel; think of a pea pod)
- Hair type on fruit
- the hairs on the fruits are simple (not branched), don’t have glands, and are not woolly
- Hairs on fruit
- the fruits have hairs on them
- Legumes (Fabaceae)
- the legume has none of the mentioned special features
- Mericarp length
- 0 mm
- Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)
- NA
- Other markings on berry
- NA
- Placenta arrangement
- the plant has parietal placentation, where ovules develop on the wall or slight outgrowths of the wall forming broken partitions within a compound ovary
- Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit compression
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit segments
- 0
- Seed number
- 1
- Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Wings on fruit
- the fruit does not have wings on it
- prickles on fruits
- the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures
-
Glands or sap
- Glands on leaf blade
- the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
- Sap color
- the sap is clear
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant is an herb (it has self-supporting stems)
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Parasitism
- the plant is not parasitic
- Plant color
- the leaves or young stems of the plant are green
- Plants darken when dry
- no
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
-
Leaves
- Bracteole number (Apiaceae)
- 0
- Bracteoles
- the plant has bracteoles between the primary bracts and the flowers
- Bracts in plantain (Plantago)
- NA
- Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)
- 6–30 mm
- Final leaf segment length to width ratio (compound lvs only)
- 1.5–3
- Floral bracts
- the flower has one or more bracts associated with it
- Hairs on underside of leaf
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- Hairs on upper side of leaf
- the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
- the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Leaf blade hairs
- the leaf blade has simple hairs with no glands, and not tangled or wooly
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)
- the leaf blade is obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
- Leaf blade texture
- the leaf blade is herbaceous (has a leafy texture)
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)
- Leaf form
- the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture
- Leaf hair orientation
- the hairs are standing up straight or curved in different directions
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Leaf teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Leaf type
- the leaves are compound (made up of two or more discrete leaflets
- Leaf variation
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- Leaflet number
- 1–3
- Leaflet petiolules
- the leaflets of the compound leaf have petiolules
- Leaves per node
- there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Pinnately compound leaf type
- the pinnately compound leaves have a terminal leaflet (and usually have an odd number of leaflets per axis)
- Specific leaf type
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis
- Stipels
- there are no stipels at the bases of the petiolules
- Stipule features
- NA
- Stipule shape
- the stipules are another shape than the choices given
- Stipules
- the plant has stipules
- Teeth per side of leaf blade
- 0
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- sandplains or barrens
- woodlands
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant does not have much of a smell
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Branched tendrils
- NA
- Direction of stem hairs
- the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles so that it is roughly circular
- Hair between stem nodes
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
- Hairs between stem nodes
- the hairs on the stem are plain, without glands or branches, and not tangled
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Plant height
- 100–150 cm
- Stem hair distribution
- the hairs on the stem are distributed more of less uniformly
- Stem orientation
- the stems are upright or angled outwards
- Stem spacing
- the plant is solitary, or a few plants are growing together
- Stem succulence
- the stems are not succulent
- Tendril origin
- NA
- Tendrils
- the plant does not have tendrils
Wetland status
Not classified
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- unrankable (S-rank: SU)
- Massachusetts
- historical (S-rank: SH), H (code: H)
- Vermont
- historical (S-rank: SH)
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Lespedeza violacea:
- leaflets glabrous on the adaxial surface or sometimes strigose along the midrib, upper 2 calyx lobes connate for ca. 50% or more of their length above the basal, tubular portion of the calyx, and stems usually strigose (vs. L. stuevei, with leaflets strigose to pilose on the adaxial surface, upper 2 calyx lobes distinct or shortly connate above the basal, tubular portion of the calyx, and stems usually pilose).
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
10. Lespedeza stuevei Nutt. NC
tall bush-clover. CT, MA, RI, VT. Sandy soil of woodlands, roadsides, clearings, and barrens.
6×10. Lespedeza frutescens × Lespedeza stuevei → This very rare bush-clover hybrid is known from RI. It has fruits mostly 1.2–1.5 times as long as the sepals and has fewer-flowered and looser inflorescences than Lespedeza stuevei. The leaf blades have, on average, more pubescence than L. frutescens.
7×10. Lespedeza hirta × Lespedeza stuevei → This very rare bush-clover hybrid is known from MA. It is similar to Lespedeza hirta ×L. violacea (7 ×12), but the adaxial leaf surface is moderately pubescent (rather than sparsely), and the abaxial leaf surface is pubescent with dense and/or ascending hairs (rather than moderate and appressed).
8×10. Lespedeza procumbens × Lespedeza stuevei → This very rare bush-clover hybrid is known from MA. It shows many stems ascending (rather than procumbent or erect, as in the parental taxa).