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Amorpha canescens - Leadplant
Available Late
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![]() Drawing copyright Mark Müller |
Fabaceae family - "Leadplant,
Prairie Shoestring, Wild Tea"Amorpha from the Greek amorphos
meaning "without shape" which refers to the flower having only one petal
and canescens from the Latin meaning "gray hairy".
A shrubby perennial, often as an undergrowth of Big Bluestem, Leadplant reaches 3 feet. Stems become large (1/2 inch) and woody with age; compound leaves with numerous small leaflets arranged in opposite pairs. Entire plant is hairy, giving a whitish appearance. Tiny purple flowers in a spiked mass along the upper 2 to 7 inches of the stem; single petal with no wings or keel, conspicuous yellow stamens.Found on dry, rocky soils throughout the tallgrass prairie regions and in open, rocky woodlands; blooms from late May through August. The dried leaves of this species were used by Native Americans for smoking and as a tea; tea was also used as a treatment for pinworms. Fresh leaves were steeped and the liquid was used for a wash to treat eczema. Used as part of a poultice to treat rheumatism and neuralgia. |
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Ion Exchange, Inc. - 1878 Old Mission Drive
- Harpers Ferry, Iowa - 52146
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