Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Fabales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Kummerowia striata
FAMILY
Fabaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
You may find it helpful to read Lespedeza Species in the Carolinas by Bill Stringer.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Learn more about Kummerowia from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Kummerowia striata
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Native & naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the US (Isely, 1998)
Kummerowia striata
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-27-002:
Lespedeza striata FAMILY Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Lespedeza striata
COMMON NAME:
Japanese-clover, Common Lespedeza, Annual Lespedeza
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_kust2_002_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_lest4_001_lvd
)
JK Marlow s050604_a
June Greenville County SC
Field
Mid-stem leaves have petioles 1-2(-4)mm long, per Weakley's Flora.
)
JK Marlow jkm120826_012
August Greenville County SC
The leaflets of Kummerowia have striate, parallel lateral veins, per Weakley's Flora.
COMPARE
leaves that are trifoliolate and palmately compound
)
JK Marlow jkm120827_066
August Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm190825_0927
August Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
Flowers solitary or 2-5 in spikelike axillary racemes, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
Roxanna Martin rlm82010_116
August Spartanburg County SC
Stipules narrowly ovate-lanceolate, those of the principal leaves 3-6mm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
Roxanna Martin rlm82210_131
August Spartanburg County SC
)
Roxanna Martin rlm8710_370
August Spartanburg County SC
Leaflets inconspicuously appressed-ciliate, not emarginate, per Weakley's Flora (2012).
)
Roxanna Martin rlm8710_373
August Spartanburg County SC
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Kummerowia striata
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Kummerowia striata
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Native & naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the US (Isely, 1998)
Kummerowia striata
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-27-002:
Lespedeza striata
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Lespedeza striata
813
Forb
Annual
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: east Asia
Common
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
This plant may be causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
- Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2006
- Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2013
- Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2009
LEAVES:
Palmately compound: 3 leaflets
Alternate
Stipules are persistent.
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Purplish
Bilaterally symmetrical
5-lobed calyx
5-parted papilionaceous corolla
10 stamens, diadelphous, 9 and 1
Superior ovary
Flowers solitary or 2-5 in spikelike axillary racemes
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Legume
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005) p110
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p338
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p195
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p083
- Weeds of Southern Turfgrasses (Murphy et al., 1992) p139
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Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".