Lespedeza leptostachya
Encyclopedia
Lespedeza leptostachya is a rare species of flowering plant in the legume family
known by the common names prairie lespedeza and prairie bush-clover. It is endemic to the Upper Midwest
region of the United States, where it occurs in the Upper Mississipi Valley
in the states of Minnesota
, Iowa
, Wisconsin
, and Illinois
. Most occurrences are in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota, and it is rare across its known range. It is federally listed as a threatened species of the US.
This is a perennial herb growing up to a meter tall. The leaves are compound, each made up of three leaflets. The herbage is coated in whitish hairs, giving the plant a silvery look. The inflorescence
is a terminal spike of cream to yellowish or pale pink flowers. Each flower is only half a centimeter long. There are both cleistogamous
flowers which never open, and chasmogamous flowers which open and allow insects inside; both types produce seed. Blooming occurs in July through September, with peak bloom in mid-July. The plant does not produce flowers until its maturity at the age of 6 to 9 years. The fruit is a legume pod. One plant can produce over 500 pods, however, many of them contain no viable seeds.
This plant grows only in the tallgrass prairie
, mainly in dry areas. The soils may be gravelly, sandy, and/or calcareous
, and are generally well-drained. Other plants in the area include big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), yellow Indian grass
(Sorghastrum nutans), side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis), porcupine grass
(Stipa spartea), Penn sedge (Carex pennsylvanica), copper-shouldered sedge (Carex bicknellii), sand-bracted sedge (Carex muhlenbergii), flowering spurge
(Euphorbia corollata), prairie phlox
(Phlox pilosa), lead plant
(Amorpha canescens), rough blazing star
(Liatris aspera), purple prairie clover (Dalea purpureum), showy goldenrod
(Solidago speciosa), grass-leaved goldenrod (S. graminifolia), prairie gentian (Gentiana puberulenta), hoary puccoon
(Lithospermum canescens), blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium albidum), cream wild indigo (Baptisia leucophaea), flax-leaved aster (Aster linariifolius), silky aster (A. sericeus), pale prairie coneflower
(Echinacea pallida), milkwort (Polygona polygama), prairie violet
(Viola pedatifida), and bird's foot violet
(Viola pedata). It can be found alongside its relative, L. capitata, and it has been known to hybridize with it, though this is rare.
There are 32 to 36 occurrences of the plant remaining in widely scattered locations, and most populations are small, containing fewer than 150 individuals. There are many more historical occurrences which no longer exist. The plant is threatened by the loss and degradation of its prairie habitat. Much of it has been consumed for development and converted to agriculture
. The prevention of agents of natural disturbance, such as wildfire
and the grazing of wild ungulates, has allowed ecological succession
to occur, turning native prairie to shrubland. The plant does not compete
well with woody shrubs. The plant can tolerate an amount of disturbance, and probably requires it; it was likely adapted to a landscape regularly trampled and grazed by bison
.
Other threats include quarry
mining, herbicide
s and surface runoff
, mowing, and weeds
. Heavy herbivory by insects and small mammals has been observed on the plants, including invasion of the pods by beetle
s. The plant does not reproduce until at least its sixth year, and when it does reproduce, it usually self-fertilizes, contributing to a low genetic diversity
in populations.
The plant has been reintroduced at one site in Iowa. As the plant probably benefited from the presence of bison, researchers are putting cattle on one site to test the effects of their grazing.
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
known by the common names prairie lespedeza and prairie bush-clover. It is endemic to the Upper Midwest
Upper Midwest
The Upper Midwest is a region in the northern portion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. It is largely a sub-region of the midwest. Although there are no uniformly agreed-upon boundaries, the region is most commonly used to refer to the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and...
region of the United States, where it occurs in the Upper Mississipi Valley
Upper Mississippi River
The Upper Mississippi River is the portion of the Mississippi River upstream of Cairo, Illinois, United States. From the headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, the river flows approximately 2000 kilometers to Cairo, where it is joined by the Ohio River to form the Lower Mississippi...
in the states of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, and Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. Most occurrences are in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota, and it is rare across its known range. It is federally listed as a threatened species of the US.
This is a perennial herb growing up to a meter tall. The leaves are compound, each made up of three leaflets. The herbage is coated in whitish hairs, giving the plant a silvery look. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a terminal spike of cream to yellowish or pale pink flowers. Each flower is only half a centimeter long. There are both cleistogamous
Cleistogamy
Cleistogamy or automatic self-pollination describes the trait of certain plants to propagate by using non-opening, self-pollinating flowers...
flowers which never open, and chasmogamous flowers which open and allow insects inside; both types produce seed. Blooming occurs in July through September, with peak bloom in mid-July. The plant does not produce flowers until its maturity at the age of 6 to 9 years. The fruit is a legume pod. One plant can produce over 500 pods, however, many of them contain no viable seeds.
This plant grows only in the tallgrass prairie
Tallgrass prairie
The tallgrass prairie is an ecosystem native to central North America, with fire as its primary periodic disturbance. In the past, tallgrass prairies covered a large portion of the American Midwest, just east of the Great Plains, and portions of the Canadian Prairies. They flourished in areas with...
, mainly in dry areas. The soils may be gravelly, sandy, and/or calcareous
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, and are generally well-drained. Other plants in the area include big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), yellow Indian grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Sorghastrum nutans, commonly known as Yellow Indiangrass, is a North American prairie grass found in the central and eastern United States and Canada, especially in the Great Plains...
(Sorghastrum nutans), side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis), porcupine grass
Stipa spartea
Stipa spartea is a grass species in the genus Stipa and is often called porcupine grass.The seeds are needle like with sharp tips and long tails. The tails are composed of two different strands that dry at different rates and twist around each other, causing the sharp head of the seed to be driven...
(Stipa spartea), Penn sedge (Carex pennsylvanica), copper-shouldered sedge (Carex bicknellii), sand-bracted sedge (Carex muhlenbergii), flowering spurge
Euphorbia corollata
Euphorbia corollata is a species from the Euphorbiaceae family that is native to North America. A common name for the species is flowering spurge.-Range and habitat:...
(Euphorbia corollata), prairie phlox
Phlox pilosa
Phlox pilosa is an herbaceous perennial in the family Polemoniaceae. It is native to North America.-Description:...
(Phlox pilosa), lead plant
Amorpha canescens
Amorpha canescens is a 1–3 feet tall deciduous shrub in the Pea family that is native to North America. It has very small purple flowers which are grouped in racemes. The compound leaves of this plant appear leaden due to their dense hairiness...
(Amorpha canescens), rough blazing star
Liatris aspera
Liatris aspera also known as the lacerate, rough, tall or prairie blazing star is a wildflower that is found the mid to eastern United States in habitats that range from mesic to dry prairie and dry savanna....
(Liatris aspera), purple prairie clover (Dalea purpureum), showy goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Solidago speciosa, or Showy Goldenrod, is a flowering plant in the United States....
(Solidago speciosa), grass-leaved goldenrod (S. graminifolia), prairie gentian (Gentiana puberulenta), hoary puccoon
Lithospermum canescens
Lithospermum canescens is a species of flowering plant known by the common name Hoary Puccoon. It is endemic to eastern North America. The plant has golden yellow flowers which bloom from April to May....
(Lithospermum canescens), blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium albidum), cream wild indigo (Baptisia leucophaea), flax-leaved aster (Aster linariifolius), silky aster (A. sericeus), pale prairie coneflower
Echinacea pallida
Echinacea pallida , commonly called Pale Purple Cone-flower, is a species of herbaceous perennial plant in the family Asteraceae. It is sometimes grown in gardens and used for medicinal purposes. Its native range is the south central region of the United States.-Description:E. pallida is similar to E...
(Echinacea pallida), milkwort (Polygona polygama), prairie violet
Viola pedatifida
Viola pedatifida Viola pedatifida Viola pedatifida (Prairie violet, Crow-foot violet, larkspur violet, purple prairie violet, coastal violet; syn. Viola pedatifida subsp. brittoniana (Pollard) L. E. McKinney, Viola pedatifida G. Don subsp. pedatifida, Viola palmata L. var...
(Viola pedatifida), and bird's foot violet
Viola pedata
Viola pedata is an ornamental plant in the Violaceae family. Monophyletic in stature, this violet, also known as the "mountain pansy" is endemic to eastern North America, where it favors well drained, acidic soils in full to partial sun environments...
(Viola pedata). It can be found alongside its relative, L. capitata, and it has been known to hybridize with it, though this is rare.
There are 32 to 36 occurrences of the plant remaining in widely scattered locations, and most populations are small, containing fewer than 150 individuals. There are many more historical occurrences which no longer exist. The plant is threatened by the loss and degradation of its prairie habitat. Much of it has been consumed for development and converted to agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. The prevention of agents of natural disturbance, such as wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
and the grazing of wild ungulates, has allowed ecological succession
Ecological succession
Ecological succession, is the phenomenon or process by which a community progressively transforms itself until a stable community is formed. It is a fundamental concept in ecology, and refers to more or less predictable and orderly changes in the composition or structure of an ecological community...
to occur, turning native prairie to shrubland. The plant does not compete
Competition (biology)
Competition is an interaction between organisms or species, in which the fitness of one is lowered by the presence of another. Limited supply of at least one resource used by both is required. Competition both within and between species is an important topic in ecology, especially community ecology...
well with woody shrubs. The plant can tolerate an amount of disturbance, and probably requires it; it was likely adapted to a landscape regularly trampled and grazed by bison
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
.
Other threats include quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
mining, herbicide
Herbicide
Herbicides, also commonly known as weedkillers, are pesticides used to kill unwanted plants. Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed. Some of these act by interfering with the growth of the weed and are often synthetic "imitations" of plant...
s and surface runoff
Surface runoff
Surface runoff is the water flow that occurs when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess water from rain, meltwater, or other sources flows over the land. This is a major component of the water cycle. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called a nonpoint source...
, mowing, and weeds
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
. Heavy herbivory by insects and small mammals has been observed on the plants, including invasion of the pods by beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
s. The plant does not reproduce until at least its sixth year, and when it does reproduce, it usually self-fertilizes, contributing to a low genetic diversity
Genetic diversity
Genetic diversity, the level of biodiversity, refers to the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species. It is distinguished from genetic variability, which describes the tendency of genetic characteristics to vary....
in populations.
The plant has been reintroduced at one site in Iowa. As the plant probably benefited from the presence of bison, researchers are putting cattle on one site to test the effects of their grazing.
External links
- USDA Plants Profile
- USFWS. Lespedeza leptostachya. Spotlight Species Action Plan.