Pea Family   Return to SDWildflowers page 

• Flowers with a Banner or lip
  • Flowers Pea-like, leaves Compound
    • Fabaceae (Pea Family) - Papilionoideae subfamily

      Lotus-like Flowers -- Banner: Large upper Petal -- Wings: Two smaller Petals below the Banner -- Keel: Two Petals tucked under the Wings -- Leaves usually pinnate (multiple leaflets attached to central stem). -- Many similar Species & Sub-Species
      Lupine -- Banner: grooved in center, sides folded back -- Wings: may be slightly fused over Keel tip -- Keel: tips generally pointed -- Leaves palmate (fingers radiate from center) -- 5 or more Leaflets typical (exception: 3 in Thermopsis - False Lupine)
      Locoweed, Vetch, etc. -- Banner longer & narrower, appears more upswept than in other Pea-like Genera. -- Leaves pinnate, generally 10+ leaflets -- Swollen seed pods often hang low on stems while flowers still blooming near stem ends.  -- Many similar Species & Sub-Species
      Clover, Indigobush, etc. -- Head tends to be rotationally (nearly) symmetric cluster of barely open tiny flowers.  -- Characteristic Banner, Wings, Keel flower structure often difficult to see. -- Many similar Species & Sub-Species -- Trifolium (Clover) has 3 palmate leaflets
      Other Obvious Pea Relatives. -- Lathyrus vestitus (Pea, Canyon) -- Psorothamnus spinosus (Indigobush) -- Characteristic Banner, Wings, Keel   --  --

   

• Flowers Radial or almost Radial, but in Fabaceae family

  Cercidium (Palo Verde) -- Caesalpinioideae subfamily -- Slightly bilateral, Petals & Sepals all alike but one Petal slightly out of rotational symmetry. -- Small pinnate leaves fall early before flowers appear. -- Shrub is a mass of grey-green branches with pointed tips. Common in desert areas.

  Acacia -- Mimosoideae subfamily -- Non-Native (Australia) -- Many tiny Radial flowers in Axillary head
  Calliandra (Fairy Duster) -- Mimosoideae subfamily -- Petals & Sepals inconspicuous -- Several flowers in short Axillary head -- Many long Stamens per flower, fused into bunches near the base of the flower. -- Desert plant