Lespedeza virginica (L.) Britton

Slender Bush Clover; Virginia Lespedeza

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Slender Bush Clover is a native herbaceous perennial in the Bean family (Fabaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Slender Bush Clover occurs in dry pine or mixed pine hardwood forests, in sand hills, in prairies, along the edges of woodlands, and on roadsides. It is a perennial from a tap root. Stems are 1-4 feet tall. They may be branched above the middle or virgate (unbranched and wand-like). Tall plants tend to lean over. The stems are greenish in color and appressed pubescent. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, and pinnately trifoliate. Leaflets are linear to oblong in outline, 4-7 times as long as wide, and pubescent with appressed hairs on both surfaces. Flowers are produced in axillary racemes with peduncles that are shorter than the subtending leaves. Flowers are papilionaceous and pink-purple in color. The standard petal is marked with darker purple. Cleistogamous flowers are also produced. The fruit is a one-seeded indehiscent legume. Slender Bush Clover is an important species of fire maintained habitats where it helps to replenish nitrogen in the soil. It is also an important food plant for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and the seed are eaten by northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) and mourning dove (Zenaida macroura). Slender Bush Clover is one of several native Bush Clovers that often grow in intermixed populations. Hybrids are frequent, making identification of some specimens difficult.--A. Diamond

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Native G5 (Global Rank)

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