Psoralea canescens Michx.

Pediomelum canescens (Michx.) Rydberg
Psoralea canescens Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 57. 1803. Lolodes canescens Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 194. 1891.
A perennial, with a subglobose or fusiform tuberous root sometimes 4 mm. thick; stem 3-10 dm. high, coarsely canescent, much branched; leaves digitately 1-3-foliolate, subsessile or short-petioled; petioles 8 mm. long or less; stipules lanceolate or subulate, 1 cm. long or less; leaflets rounded-obovate, narrowed into distinct petiolules, 2-5 cm. long, rounded at the apex, minutely glandular-punctate and glabrate above, villous-canescent beneath; peduncles 2-5 cm. long; spikes loose, short, 2-4 cm. long; bracts 4-6 mm. long, ovate-acuminate; flowers shortpedicelled; calyx sparingly pubescent, 7 mm. long; lobes broadly lanceolate, acuminate, the upper four nearly 4 mm. long, the lowest about 7 mm. long; corolla dark-blue, 10-12 mm. long; banner obovate, the basal lobes small, half-round; wings with an oblong basal lobe; pod 1 cm. long, ovate with a broad straight beak ; seed nearly orbicular, dark-brown.
Type locality: Carolina.
Distribution: North Carolina to Florida and Alabama.

Perennial, Herbs, Stems woody below, or from woody crown or caudex, Taproot present, Tubers or tuberous roots present, Nodules present, Stems erect or ascending, Stems less than 1 m tall, Plants gland-dotted or with gland-tipped hairs, Stems solid, Stems or you ng twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules green, triangulate to lanceolate or foliaceous, Stipules setiform, subulate or acicular, Stipules persistent, Stipules free, Leaves simple, or appearing so, Leaves compound, Leaves palmately 2-3 foliate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets 1, Leaflets 3, Leaves glandular punctate or gland-dotted, Leaves hairy on one or both surfaces, Flowers in axillary clusters or few-floweredracemes, 2-6 flowers, Inflorescences racemes, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts conspicuously present, Bracts hairy, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx hairy, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals clawed, Petals blue, lavander to purple, or violet, Banner petal ovoid or obovate, Banner petal auriculate, Wing petals narrow, oblanceolate to oblong, Wing petals auriculate, Wing tips obtuse or rounded, Keel tips obtuse or rounded, not beaked, Stamens 9-10, Stamens diadelphous, 9 united, 1 free, Filaments glabrous, Style terete, Style hairy, Fruit a legume, Fruit unilocular, Fruit freely dehiscent, Fruit oblong or ellipsoidal, Fruit exserted from calyx, Fruit beaked, Fruit hairy, Fruit gland-dotted or with gland-tipped hairs, Fruit 1-seeded, Seeds ovoid to rounded in outline, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black.