Flower ID: IMG_1244.JPG-05-25-2024 Flower name (scientific): Baptisia bracteata Muhlenberg ex Elliott PY: 1817. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) bap-TEE-zee-uh brak-tee-AY-tuh Flower name (common): Plains Wild Indigo Family name (common): Pea Family name (scientific): Fabaceae Scientific name origin: Genus: From Greek bapto meaning to dye, in reference to its use as an alternative to true indigo, which was obtained from the plant Indigofera tinctoria. Specific epithet: From the Latin for having bracts. Common name origin: From its habitat and the use by native Americans to extract a blue dye resembling indigo from some species of Baptisia, for example, Baptisia australis and Baptisia tinctoria. Flower description: Size: 0.7 to 1.0 inches (1.8 to 2.5 cm) Petal count: 5 Color: yellow (cream-yellow) Other: flower arrangement, Raceme Plant description: Size: 10 to 32 inches (25 to 81 cm) Stem hairy: pubescent Other: Leaf description: attachment is alternate, type is compound, with typically three leaflets. Size: Leaflets up to 9 cm long and up to 2 to 2.5 cm wide. Color: Gray-green. Hairy: short hairy. Other: Shape: leaf, trifoliate, leaflet oblanceolate, broadly elliptic or rhombic-elliptic (IL), oblanceolate to narrowly obovate or elliptic (MP) Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Uncommon Bloom time (typical): May to June Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial Habitat: Prairies, woods, full to partial sun, dry to moist, loamy or sandy soil. Fruit: Legumes are up to 5 cm long, tapers to a sharp point, and greenish-colored. Seed: Light brown and about 3 to 4 mm in length. Importance to wildlife: Similar species (if any): No close lookalikes. The conspicuous leaflike bracts help to identify this species. Ethnobotany: Latitude: 44.796842 Longitude: -91.513567 Altitude: 254.90 Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dunn, Eau Claire, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Lafayette, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, St. Croix, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Wood) Click here for distribution map In US: (AL, AR, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, OK, SC, SD, TN, TX, WI) Click here for distribution map In Canada: References: Synonym(s): Basionym: na Homotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 1 homotypic synonym for this species. Heterotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 3 heterotypic synonyms for this species. Autonym: na Wetland Status (NC): Not listed Wetland Status (MW): Not listed