Rhynchosia minima (L.) DC.

Least Snout Bean

Vine

Perennial

Vascular

Least Snout Bean is an herbaceous perennial member of the Bean family (Fabaceae). It is a twining vine up to four feet in length. The stems are slightly pubescent. The leaves are alternate, trifoliate, and pubescent. The leaflets are rhomboid to ovate. Flowers are produced in racemes from the axils of the mid- to upper leaves. Flowers number from 5-15 per raceme and are relatively widely spaced. Flowers are papilionaceous, consisting of a banner or standard petal, two wing petals, and two united keel petals. The petals are yellow in color with brown or purple streaks on the outer surface. The fruit is a one or two seeded legume. Least Snout Bean typically occurs on heavy clay soils, particularly those high in lime and phosphorus. It is pantropical in distribution, occurring in Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. In the United States it is known from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas. Both Alabama collections were made by Charles Mohr. He collected this species in Autauga County in July 1869 and Mobile County in July 1870. No other collections of this species occur for Alabama. On 29 August 2014, the species was rediscovered in the Black Belt region of Lowndes County, Alabama. The species occurred in dry sandy soil in full sun under a power line right-of-way. The population was quite extensive and extended for approximately 100 meters along the power line corridor. Both flowering and fruiting plants were observed. Least Snout Bean has been listed as “Historical” (not collected within the last 100 years) in Alabama. This species is relatively widespread in Florida and Louisiana, but infrequent in Mississippi and Georgia. The apparent rarity of this species in adjacent states and its long absence from Alabama is likely due to insufficient collections. This species should be looked for in open disturbed habitats on the Coastal Plain, particularly in the Black Belt region.--A. Diamond

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Native

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