August 18th, 2012. With the rainfall we’ve had recently, roadsides in many
counties in the Piedmont are lined by forests of partridge pea plants that are blooming
profusely. Two species, Chamaecrista fasciculata and Chamaecrista
nictitans, occur in this area.
Chamaecrista fasciculata
is the showier of the two species – sometimes called the Showy Partridge Pea -
and is responsible for most of the roadside displays.
The flowers open completely.
Chamaecrista
nictitans has smaller flowers, that…
rarely
open completely so that it’s not as showy as its cousin, C. fasciculata.
*****
The
seedpods, green and ripe.
Chamaecrista fasciculata (Partridge Pea, Common
Partridge Pea, Showy Partridge Pea) is native of the United States, where it’s found in states
southeast of a line from Massachusetts to Wisconsin and South Dakota and southwest
to Texas and New Mexico. In Georgia, it’s found in many counties throughout the
state.
Chamaecrista nictitans (Sensitive Partridge
Pea) is native of the United States, where it’s found in states
southeast of a line from Maine to Wisconsin and Illinois and southwest to Kansas,
New Mexico and Arizona. In Georgia, it’s found in many counties throughout the
state.
Click on an image to view a larger image
Identification
resources:
Southeastern
Flora:
Name
that Plant: Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia:
Distribution:
United
States Department of Agriculture Plants Database:
University of North Carolina Herbarium:
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