Trailing wildbean

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Trailing wildbean

Trailing wildbean leaf

Trailing wildbean

Trailing wildbean flower and pod

Trailing wildbean flower

Trailing wildbean

Trailing wildbean leaf

Trailing wildbean flower

Morphology

Stem

Stems trailing, decumbent, or climbing and twining, branched from base, pilose or glabrate, not glandular-dotted.

Leaves

Usually alternate, proximal sometimes opposite, usually odd-pinnately compound, proximal sometimes simple, rachis not extended into conspicuous tendril; stipules ovate to triangular, 1/12 to 1/4 inch; petiole .2 to 2.8 inches; leaflets usually 3, blades rhombic to ovate or ovate-oblong, usually less than 2 times longer than wide, .8 to 2.8 inches long, .6 to 2 inches wide, base rounded or acute, margins entire to deeply 3-lobed, tip rounded to acute, mucronate, surfaces appressed-pubescent or upper surface glabrous.

Inflorescence

Racemes, axillary, head-like, 2-5-flowered, .1/5 to 3/5 inch, or flowers solitary; peduncles 1.2 to 6 inches.

Flower

Papilionaceous; calyx campanulate, tube 1/16 to 1/8 inch, glabrous or sparsely pilose, 2-lipped, upper 2 lobes fused, lower 3 lobes unequal, middle lobe 1/6 to 1/4 inch; corolla pink to pinkish purple, fading greenish yellow, 1/3 to 3/5 inch; banner round or broadly ovate; wings curved-oblong, shorter than keel petals; keel sometimes darker purple, sickle-shaped with strongly curved and rounded apex; stamens 10, diadelphous; style bearded.

Fruit

Pods, linear, 1.4 to 4 inches, straight, round or slightly flattened in cross section, sparsely appressed-pubescent; seeds 3-10, brown, oblong, 1/5 to 2/5 inch, pubescent with white woolly patches.

Ecology

Habitat

Rocky woodlands, thickets, tallgrass, mixed-grass, and sand prairie ravines, river and stream banks, and flood plains

Distribution

East 2/3 of Kansas

Additional Notes