Neptunia lutea (Leavenw.) Benth.

Yellow Puff; Yellow Neptunia

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Yellow Puff is a native herbaceous perennial in the Bean family (Fabaceae). It is found in west central Alabama in the Black Belt region. Yellow Puff occurs in prairies, on chalk outcrops, in cedar glades, and on roadsides. It is a perennial with a thick taproot. Stems are prostrate, short pubescent to almost glabrous, and up to 6 feet in length. The stems are green or reddish in color. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, bi-pinnately compound, with 4-5 pairs of pinnae each with 9-15 pairs of leaflets. Leaflets are oblong, entire, and ciliate. Like some species of Mimosa, the leaves of Yellow Puff will fold when touched or at night. Flowers are produced in ovoid or cylindrical heads from the axils of the leaves. Each head has 30-60 flowers, the upper flowers are perfect and fertile and the lower flowers are staminate. In bud the flower heads resemble unripe blackberries or mulberries. Each individual flower has five tiny yellow petals and ten yellow stamens. The fruit is a flattened, oblong legume. Yellow Puff is sometimes grown as a forage for livestock. Seed are available from some companies. They require scarification of the hard seed coat for germination to occur.—A. Diamond

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Native

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