Synonym(s): Bradburya virginiana, Centrosema virginianum var. ellipticum
Image ID: 8844
Image by: Ware, Richard & Teresa
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library
PLANT INDEX
ID_PLANT: CEVI2
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Centrosema virginianum
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2017-11-28
GENUS INDEX
GENUS CODE: CENTR2 GENUS SCIENTIFIC:Centrosema GENUS AUTHORITY: (DC.) Benth. GENUS COMMON: Butterfly pea GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 40 species, perennial vining herbs, of tropical and warm temperate regions of the Western Hemisphere. GENUS IDENTIFICATION: Identification notes: Centrosema and Clitoria are unique among our legumes in having resupinate flowers, the pedicel twisted 180 degrees so that the large “standard” is lowermost. They are often confused; the following key includes both genera for easy differentiation. GENUS REFERENCES: Isely (1998)=I; Fantz (2002a).
FAMILY INDEX
FAMILY CODE: FABACE FAMILY SCIENTIFIC:Fabaceae FAMILY AUTHORITY: Lindley 1836 or LEGUMINOSAE A.L. de Jussieu 1789 FAMILY COMMON: Legume Family FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 730 genera and 20,000 species, trees, shrubs, and herbs, cosmopolitan. FAMILY REFERENCE: Isely (1990)=SE (throughout the family treatment); Isely (1998)=I; Lewis et al. (2005); Wojciechowski, Lavin, & Sanderson (2004); Wilbur (1963a); Robertson & Lee (1976).
NCBG DESCRIPTIVES
INTRO:Twining or climbing,herbaceousperennialvine found in dry woodlands and openings. STEMS: Stems trailing and twining over other plants, rough with tiny hairs. LEAVES: Leaves alternate, on petioles with tiny, lance-shaped stipules at the base; divided into 3 oval to elliptic leaflets, each to 2 3/4 in. long and with conspicuous veins, especially beneath. INFLORESCENCE: FLOWERS: Flowers 1-4 on slender stalks from leaf axils, pink or lavender, 1 1/2-2 in. wide, bilaterally symmetric with a typical pea-flower shape, including a large round and somewhat flattened banner petal; wings and keel petals are shorter and tightly curved to form a knob in the flower center. FRUITS:Fruit a narrow pod. COMMENTS: HEIGHT: to 5 ft. long DURATION:
Perennial
HABIT:
Herb, Vine
LEAF ARRANGEMENT:
Alternate LEAF COMPLEXITY:
Trifoliate LEAF RETENTION: FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
Bilateral (Zygomorphic)
BLOOM TIME: Jun-Aug
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
x
x
x
x
x
BLOOM COLOR: Lavender
White
Red
Pink
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Lavender
Purple
Violet
Brown
Not Applicable
x
FRUITING PERIOD: Jul-Oct. DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Dry forests, Woods margins
NATIVE RANGE: eastern United States HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Spurred Butterfly-pea produces beautiful 1-2" lavender flowers that bear a white spot. This modest little vine climbs by means of its twirling stems. It is often found growing in well-drained soil at the edge of woods, or in open sunny areas. Sometimes it grows prostrate on the ground when there is nothing available for it to climb. Spurred Butterfly Pea is quite tolerant of drought, once its root system has gotten established. This species is the host for the caterpillars of the Long-tailed Skipper Butterfly.
USDA Symbol: CEVI2
USDA Common Name: Spurred Butterfly Pea
Native Status: L48 (N), PR (N), VI (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, IL, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA), USA+ (PR, VI)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Vine, Forb/herb
WEAKLEY FLORA
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Centrosema virginianum
COMMON NAME: Spurred Butterfly Pea
SYNONYMY: [= C, G, I, K, Mo, RAB, SE, Va, W, WH3; > C. virginianum var. virginianum - F; > C. virginianum var. ellipticum Fernald - F; = Bradburya virginiana (Linnaeus) Kuntze - S; > C. virginianum var. angustifolium (A.P. de Candolle) Grisebach]
PHENOLOGY: Jun-Aug; Jul-Oct.
HABITAT: Dry woodlands and openings.
COMMENTS: S. NJ south to s. FL, west to KY, sc. MO, AR, and TX. Very variable in leaflet length:width ratio, with forms with very narrow leaflets prevalent southwards (10:1 or greater), especially in peninsular FL (and in the West Indies); these perhaps warrant taxonomic recognition as C. virginianum var. angustifolium (A.P. de Candolle) Grisebach. Further study is needed.
RANGE MAP: Centrosema virginianum.png
Key to Map SymbolsABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora) Fabaceae Lindley 1836 or LEGUMINOSAE A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Legume Family) SUMMARY: A family of about 730 genera and 20,000 species, trees, shrubs, and herbs, cosmopolitan. REFERENCE: Isely (1990)=SE (throughout the family treatment); Isely (1998)=I; Lewis et al. (2005); Wojciechowski, Lavin, & Sanderson (2004); Wilbur (1963a); Robertson & Lee (1976).ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora) Centrosema (DC.) Benth. (Butterfly pea) SUMMARY: A genus of about 40 species, perennial vining herbs, of tropical and warm temperate regions of the Western Hemisphere. REFERENCE: Isely (1998)=I; Fantz (2002a).
HERBARIUM RESOURCES
SERNEC: Find Centrosema virginianum in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available) UNC SERNEC: Find Centrosema virginianum in
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)