Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
You may find it helpful to read Lespedeza Species in the Carolinas by Bill Stringer.
Learn more about Virginia Lespedeza from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
1913
Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Fabales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA (11/30/12):
Lespedeza virginica
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Lespedeza virginica
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-27-006:
Lespedeza virginica
FAMILY
Fabaceae
COMMON NAME:
Virginia Lespedeza, Slender Lespedeza, Virginia Bush-clover, Slender Bush-clover
To see a detailed map, click here
Look for it in sandhills, woodlands, and woodland borders, per Weakley's Flora
Forb
Perennial
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Documented growing wild in
GA
NC
SC
Common
LEAVES:
Odd-pinnately compound: 3 leaflets
Alternate
Stipules are persistent.
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Purplish/ Light violet
Bilaterally symmetrical
5-lobed calyx
5-parted papilionaceous corolla
10 stamens, diadelphous, 9 and 1
Superior ovary
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Legume
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
Lespedeza virginica FAMILY Fabaceae
Virginia Lespedeza, Slender Lespedeza, Virginia Bush-clover, Slender Bush-clover
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
You may find it helpful to read Lespedeza Species in the Carolinas by Bill Stringer.
Click the thumbnails to see larger pictures.
JK Marlow jkm060603_039
June Greenville County SC
Field
Get to know this common species so you can learn others less common, per Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region.
JK Marlow s060603_d
June Greenville County SC
Field
Leaflet base and apex both rounded. Petioles of mid-stem leaves ~ 10mm long, per Weakley's Flora.
COMPARE
leaves that are trifoliolate and pinnately compound
JK Marlow s080607_c
June Pickens County SC
Leaves with long petioles, leaflets < 1/4" wide & about 4x as long, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains.
JK Marlow jkm0408l_10
August Greenville County SC
Roadside
Its copious flowers give it a top-heavy look, per Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region.
JK Marlow jkm0408l_12
August Greenville County SC
Roadside
Crowded clusters of 4-10 flowers in upper leaf axils, shorter than leaves, per Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses.
JK Marlow jkm200804_6838
August Spartanburg County SC
Stem moderately hairy in lines, per Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses.