Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Fabales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Zornia bracteata
FAMILY
Fabaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
When Viperina is in bloom, some folks will likely mistake it for Pencil-flower (Stylosanthes biflora). Learn more from Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Zornia bracteata
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Zornia bracteata
SYNONYMOUS WITH Native & naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the US (Isely, 1998)
Zornia bracteata
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-23-001:
Zornia bracteata FAMILY Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Zornia bracteata
COMMON NAME:
Viperina, Zornia
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_zobr_001_pvd
)
Bruce A. Sorrie bas_zornia_bracteata2
July Richmond County NC
Stems radiate erratically from a central point, erect, ascending or trailing, per Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011).
)
Bruce A. Sorrie bas_zornia_bracteata2b
July Richmond County NC
Flowers pea-shaped, borne in spikes, the petals deep yellow, per Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011).
)
Bruce A. Sorrie bas_zornia_bracteata2c
July Richmond County NC
The palmately 4-foliolate leaves are unique, per Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001).
COMPARE
Pencil-flower and Viperina
)
Bruce A. Sorrie bas_zornia_bracteata3
July Richmond County NC
)
Bruce A. Sorrie bas_zornia_bracteata3b
July Richmond County NC
Each flower is enveloped by two closely appressed, striate, ciliate bracts, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Zornia bracteata
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Zornia bracteata
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Zornia bracteata
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Native & naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the US (Isely, 1998)
Zornia bracteata
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-23-001:
Zornia bracteata
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Zornia bracteata
2973
Forb
Annual
Habitat: pine flatwoods, longleaf pine sandhills, pine rocklands, sandy roadsides, rarely disjunct inland in sandy soils, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common in Coastal Plain (rare in Piedmont)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Palmately compound: 4 leaflets (rarely 1-3)
Mostly alternate
FLOWER:
Summer
Yellow
2-lipped calyx
Superior ovary
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p250
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p352
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p231
- Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011) p062
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".