OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Fabales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Baptisia alba   FAMILY Fabaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Baptisia alba var. alba   FAMILY Fabaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Baptisia alba var. alba

SYNONYMOUS WITH Native & naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the US (Isely, 1998)

Baptisia alba var. alba

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-09-010:

Baptisia pendula   FAMILY Fabaceae

INCLUDING A monograph of the genus Baptisia (Larisey, 1940)

Baptisia pendula var. obovata

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Baptisia alba

 

COMMON NAME:
Thick-pod White Wild Indigo


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Baptisia alba, Thick-pod White Wild Indigo

JK Marlow    jkm090522_027

May    McCormick County    SC

Black fruit [when ripe] help distinguish this from look-alike B. albescens, per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006).

image of Baptisia alba, Thick-pod White Wild Indigo

JK Marlow    jkm090522_029

May    McCormick County    SC

Leaflets up to about 3" long and often have a milky bloom on upper surface, per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE leaves that are trifoliolate and palmately compound

image of Baptisia alba, Thick-pod White Wild Indigo

JK Marlow    jkm180505_1814

May    Pike County    GA

Camp Thunder VPA

Developing fruit.

image of Baptisia alba, Thick-pod White Wild Indigo

JK Marlow    jkm180505_1864

May    Pike County    GA

Camp Thunder VPA

This species has large black pods about 1.5" long and nearly 1" wide, and these hang downward, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.

image of Baptisia alba, Thick-pod White Wild Indigo

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmbalba_ec1

May        

B. albescens & B. alba have been nomenclaturally confused, per Weakley's Flora.

image of Baptisia alba, Thick-pod White Wild Indigo

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmbalba_ec2

May        

Flowers slightly more than 3/4" long (larger than those of B. albescens), per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006).

image of Baptisia alba, Thick-pod White Wild Indigo

Steve Marlow    snm_bridge_baptisia2_226e

May    Edgefield-McCormick Counties    SC

image of Baptisia alba, Thick-pod White Wild Indigo

Bill Stringer    wcsbalba_pod

June        

image of Baptisia alba, Thick-pod White Wild Indigo

Bill Stringer    wcsbapt_alba

June        

image of Baptisia alba, Thick-pod White Wild Indigo

Bill Stringer    wcsbapt_albad

June        

image of Baptisia alba, Thick-pod White Wild Indigo

Bill Stringer    wcstrue_baptalba

June        

Flowering pedicels subtended by caducous bracts [here already gone] 1-2mm wide, per Weakley's Flora.

image of Baptisia alba, Thick-pod White Wild Indigo

JK Marlow    jkm081102_106

November    Columbia County    GA

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Baptisia alba   FAMILY Fabaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Baptisia alba var. alba   FAMILY Fabaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Baptisia alba var. alba

SYNONYMOUS WITH Native & naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the US (Isely, 1998)
Baptisia alba var. alba

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-09-010:
Baptisia pendula   FAMILY Fabaceae

INCLUDING A monograph of the genus Baptisia (Larisey, 1940)
Baptisia pendula var. obovata

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Baptisia alba

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

190

Forb
Perennial

Habitat: Dry woodlands, pine flatwoods, roadsides, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common in Carolina Coastal Plain, uncommon in Carolina Piedmont (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

LEAVES:
Palmately compound: 3 leaflets
Mostly alternate

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
White
Bilaterally symmetrical
4-5 toothed or lobed calyx
5-parted papilionaceous corolla
10 stamens
Superior ovary

FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Legume

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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