Flower ID: IMG_4351.JPG-07-10-2020 Flower name (scientific): Amorpha canescens Pursh PY: 1813. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) ah-MOR-fah kan-ESS-senz Flower name (common): Lead Plant Family name (common): Pea Family name (scientific): Fabaceae Scientific name origin: Genus: From the Latin for deformed, referencing the imperfectly developed flowers. Specific epithet: From the Latin for turning hoary-white, or with hairs of off-white or ashy-grey color, referring to the whitish colored hairs on the leaves and stems. Common name origin: A plant presumed to indicate the presence of lead ore. Another suggestion is that the fine white to gray hairs that can cover the plant to an extent that give the impression of a dusting with white lead, which is a naturally ocurring basic lead carbonate mixed salt. Flower description: Size: 0.2 to 0.3 inches (5 to 8 mm) Petal count: 5 Color: purple or blue Other: flower arrangement, Spike Plant description: Size: 8 to 40 inches (20 to 100 cm) Stem hairy: Typically densely pubescent with short woolly hairs. Other: Leaf description: attachment is alternate, type is compound. Size: Compound leaf up to 12 inches long. Leaflets to about 2 cm long and about 6 mm wide. Color: Upper surface medium green, lower surface whitish- to grayish-green. Hairy: Upper and lower surfaces commonly densely pubescent. Other: Shape: leaf, bipinnate (IL), leaflet oval. Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Uncommon Bloom time (typical): June to August Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial Habitat: Prairies, woods, roadsides, sun, dry to moderate moisture. Fruit: A densely hairy pod about 3 to 4 mm in length olive to brown in color. Seed: About 2 mm long and 1 mm wide, reddish-brown to brown in color. Importance to wildlife: Similar species (if any): Dalea villosa (Silky Prairie Clover) has a minor resemblance, but the pinkish-colored flowers helps to differentiate between the two species. D. villosa is a species of special concern in Wisconsin, and has only been reported from the most western counties along the border with Minnesota. Ethnobotany: Used by the Meskwaki (exonym Fox) as a dermatological aid and an anthelmintic. The leaves are used to prepare a tea that was used to kill pinworms and other intestinal worms. The leaves were also employed to prepare a remedy for eczema (Smith, pp. 227, 1928). The Ojibwa used the roots as a gastrointestinal aid (Moerman, p. 70, 1998). Latitude: 44.796167 Longitude: -91.513507 Altitude: 267.50 Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Barron, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Dunn, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Lincoln, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washburn, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map In US: (AR, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NM, OK, SD, TX, WI, WY) Click here for distribution map In Canada: (MB, ON) Click here for distribution map References: Synonym(s): Basionym: na Homotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 1 homotypic synonym for this species. Heterotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 5 heterotypic synonyms for this species. Autonym: na Wetland Status (NC): Not listed Wetland Status (MW): Not listed