Partridge
Pea Cassia fasciculata
Description:
This native plant is an annual and is one of a very small number of
annual species found in prairie vegetation. It is a member of the Leguminosae, or legume family. The height of the Partridge
Pea is up to 60 cm or more.
Leaf: The pinnate leaves are finely cut and
compound. There are from 12 to 30 leaflets that are a bit sensitive to the
touch and close up at night.
Flower: The Partridge pea does not have the usual
pea-shaped flower. The showy, five-petaled, yellow
flower has a reddish center. The ten stamens have six purple and four yellow
anthers. The lower petal is slightly larger. The flowers occur where the leaf
comes from the stem. The seed pods are flat and burst open, throwing the seeds
away from the plant.
Blooming months: July-September
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Discussion:
The Partridge Pea tends to grow in infertile places where other plants are
few, and it improves the soil by its nitrogen-fixing habit. It can be
successfully grown from seed by scarification. It is reported to be a good food
source for upland birds.
Distribution:
Partridge Pea occurs in most sandy open solids. It is particularly common
along roads and in olds fields. This species ranges over most of the eastern
Native
or Introduced to
Location:
N41048.677’ W089040.972’
Copyright:
© 2004 Nancy Trainor,
References:
Keller, Carolyn. Prairie Plants of
Ladd, Doug. Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers, The Nature Conservancy, 1995.
Peterson, Roger Tory. Wildflowers Northeastern/North Central
Mohlenbroch, Robert H., and John W. Voigt. Prairie
Plants of
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