SLICK-SEED BEAN
File Size: 20 KB
 
Strophostyles leiosperma   (T. & G. ) Piper
Geary County, Kansas
Annual
Height: Low trailing or climbing vine
Family: Fabaceae - bean Family
Flowering Period:   June, July, August, September
Also Called: Smooth-seed wild bean, slick-seed fuzzy-bean, small-flowered wild bean, small wild bean.
Stems: Single or several from branching base, slender, 8 to 40+ inches, low trailing or climbing, often branching above, with stiff spreading hairs to soft long hairs or sometimes nearly smooth.
Leaves: Two forms; leaves of lowest 1-4 nodes usually opposite, simple, kidney-shaped, 1/3 to 2/5 inch long, margins entire, rarely observed; principal leaves alternate, pinnately 3-foliolate; leaflets narrowly elliptic to oblong-lanceolate or linear-oblong, 4/5 to 2 inches long, 1/4 to 2/5 inch wide, usually unlobed or rarely with indentation on one side or shallow lobed, plus or minus pubescent on both surfaces.
Inflorescences: Nearly head-like, 1-few-flowered, on stalks in leaf axils; stalks 1.2 to 4 inches long; bracts at base of calyx small, lanceolate, green, densely hairy.
Flowers: Calyx tube irregular, bell-shaped, 1/16 to 1/12 inch long, densely stiff-hairy, 2-lipped, upper lobe with 2 united teeth, lower lobe with 3 teeth, middle tooth longest; corolla papilionaceous, 1/5 to 1/3 inch long, pinkish to pale purple, fading yellowish or rarely greenish; banner 1/3 inch long, circular to broadly egg-shaped, sides folded over other petals; wings much shorter than keel; keel curved upward into beak which points back into flower; beak dark spotted; stamens 10, arranged in two groups.
Fruits: Pod, sessile, linear, .6 to 1.8 inch long, nearly round, very pubescent; seeds several, 1/8 to 1/6 inch long, gray or brown with black or purplish markings, smooth and shiny at maturity.
Habitat: Sandy open areas, sandy prairies, dunes, stream banks , roadsides, fallow fields, infrequently in rocky open woods; dry or moist sandy soil.
Distribution: Throughout Kansas
Origin: Native
Comments: From Greek stropo "twining" or "twisting".

Slick-seed bean
16 KB
Geary County, Kansas
Slick-seed bean
40 KB
Geary County, Kansas
Slick-seed bean leaf
48 KB
Geary County, Kansas
Slick-seed bean leaf
52 KB
Geary County, Kansas
Slick-seed bean pod
32 KB
Geary County, Kansas
Slick-seed bean
68 KB
Geary County, Kansas
Slick-seed bean fruit
34 KB
McPherson County, Kansas