Amorpha californica
Encyclopedia
Amorpha californica is a species of flowering plant in the legume family
known by the common name California false indigo.
It is native to California
, Arizona
, and northern Baja California
, where it grows in the California chaparral and woodlands
and other chaparral
and oak woodlands
habitats.
with leaves made up of spiny, oval-shaped leaflets each tipped with a resin gland. The scattered inflorescence
s are spike-like raceme
s of flowers, each flower with a single purple petal and ten protruding stamen
s. The fruit is a legume pod containing usually a single seed.
larvae feed on Amorpha californica.
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
known by the common name California false indigo.
It is native to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and northern Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, where it grows in the California chaparral and woodlands
California chaparral and woodlands
The California chaparral and woodlands is a terrestrial ecoregion of lower northern, central, and southern California and northwestern Baja California , located on the west coast of North America...
and other chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
and oak woodlands
California oak woodland
California oak woodland is a plant community found throughout the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of California in the United States and northwestern Baja California in Mexico...
habitats.
Description
Amorpha californica is a glandular, thornless shrubShrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
with leaves made up of spiny, oval-shaped leaflets each tipped with a resin gland. The scattered inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s are spike-like raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
s of flowers, each flower with a single purple petal and ten protruding stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s. The fruit is a legume pod containing usually a single seed.
Butterflies
The endemic California dogface butterflyCalifornia dogface butterfly
Zerene eurydice, the California dogface butterfly, is sometimes placed in the related genus as Colias eurydice. It is endemic to California, and its state insect insignia.-First state insect:...
larvae feed on Amorpha californica.