North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Robinia nana

Robinia nana Elliott

dwarf bristly locust

Image ID: 18624
Image by: Ware, Richard & Teresa
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: RONA
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Robinia nana
Include in WOTAS: 0
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2016-12-30

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: ROBIN
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Robinia
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Locust
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of 5-8 species, shrubs and trees, of e. and sw. North America. The Southern Appalachians are a center of diversity of Robinia, with active hybridization, introgression, and formation of local (sterile) races involved; a fully satisfying taxonomic treatment of such a situation is not possible. Isely & Peabodys (1984) treatment seems a reasonable approach, and I have largely followed it here, differing in the rank of some of the taxa.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION: Identification notes: The key is differently structured than that in RAB or SE; it is presented as an alternative. This treatment may be altered substantially prior to publication. A variety of hybrids (including some cultivars) are known, including the following: Robinia ×longiloba W.W. Ashe (pro sp.) [R. hispida × viscosa], known from NC and SC; Robinia ×margarettae W.W. Ashe (pro sp.) [R. hispida × pseudoacacia], known from NC, SC, and GA; Robinia ×ambigua Poiret (pro sp.) [R. pseudoacacia × viscosa], known from NC; Robinia hartwigii × hispida, known from Whiteside Mountain, Jackson County, NC; Robinia hartwigii × viscosa, known from Whiteside Mountain, Jackson County, NC.
GENUS REFERENCES: Isely & Peabody (1984)=Z; Ashe (1922)=Y; Isely (1998)=I.

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:
STEMS:
LEAVES:
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS:
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT:

DURATION:
HABIT:

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate
LEAF COMPLEXITY:
LEAF RETENTION:

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
BLOOM TIME: Apr-Jun

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
			x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR:

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable

FRUITING PERIOD: Jul-Oct.

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Dry forests, Sandhills
NATIVE RANGE:

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text:

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE:
LIGHT EXPOSURE:
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE:
DEER RESISTANCE:

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: RONA
USDA Common Name:
Native Status:
Distribution:
Duration:
Growth Habit:

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Robinia nana
COMMON NAME: Dwarf Bristly Locust
SYNONYMY: [= R. elliottii (Chapman) W.W. Ashe ex Small - F, G; = R. hispida Linnaeus var. nana (Elliott) A.P. de Candolle - K1, K2, SE, Z; > R. nana - RAB, S, Y; > R. elliottii - RAB, S, Y; < R. hispida - W]
PHENOLOGY: Apr-Jun; Jul-Oct.
HABITAT: Sandhills, dry rocky forests (especially associated with chestnut oak).
COMMENTS: Se. and nc. NC south through SC to GA and AL. This species fruits infrequently.
RANGE MAP: Robinia nana.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT 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)
Robinia L. (Locust)
SUMMARY: A genus of 5-8 species, shrubs and trees, of e. and sw. North America. The Southern Appalachians are a center of diversity of Robinia, with active hybridization, introgression, and formation of local (sterile) races involved; a fully satisfying taxonomic treatment of such a situation is not possible. Isely & Peabodys (1984) treatment seems a reasonable approach, and I have largely followed it here, differing in the rank of some of the taxa.
REFERENCE: Isely & Peabody (1984)=Z; Ashe (1922)=Y; Isely (1998)=I.

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Robinia nana in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Robinia nana in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Robinia nana in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Robinia nana in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Robinia nana in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Robinia nana

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 18624 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 18624 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 7503 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 18624 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)