Aeschynomene americana L.

American Joint Vetch; Shyleaf

Herb

Annual

Vascular

American Joint Vetch is a native annual herbaceous plant in the Bean family (Fabaceae). It is found in coastal areas of Alabama. American Joint Vetch occurs from Alabama, Georgia and Florida south through Central America, parts of South America, and the West Indies. It can be found on roadsides, in field edges, in pastures, in ditches, and in waste areas. It is an annual with a tap root. Stems are from 3-6 feet in height, green or purple in color, and covered in stiff hairs. The leaves are alternate, petiolate, and odd-pinnately compound. The leaves are sensitive to touch and will fold up when disturbed and at night. Each leaf has 26-50 narrowly oblong or linear-oblong leaflets. The leaflets have 2-4 obvious veins and a few teeth on the margin near the apex. Flowers are produced in axillary racemes of 2-4 flowers and have persistent lacerate bracts. The raceme axis and pedicels are pubescent with pustulate based hairs. Flowers are papilionaceous and pinkish in color. The fruit is a segmented legume that is glabrous. The legume breaks into 1-seeded segments. American Joint is widely cultivated as a forage and green manure throughout tropical and subtropical areas of the world.—A. Diamond

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Native FAC (NWPL)

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