Orbexilum onobrychis

Orbexilum onobrychis, commonly called French-grass[1] or lanceleaf scurfpea,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the legume family (Fabaceae). It is native to the eastern United States where its range is concentrated in the Midwest and Upper South.[3] Its natural habitat is primarily prairies and riverbanks, typically in mesic or wet areas.[2][4] It is an uncommon species, and can be found in high-quality prairie remnants as well as more disturbed areas.[4][5]

Orbexilum onobrychis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Tribe: Psoraleeae
Genus: Orbexilum
Species:
O. onobrychis
Binomial name
Orbexilum onobrychis
Synonyms

Psoralea onobrychis

It is a rhizomatous perennial that forms large colonies. It has pinnately trifoliate leaves, with large lanceolate leaflets.[5] Its flowers are pale blue or purple, and produced in racemes. Bloom time is from late spring to early summer.[4] Its fruits are beans, which are 6–8 mm long and distinctively warty.

The caterpillars of the rare moth Hystrichophora loricana are known to use Orbexilum onobrychis as their exclusive foodplant.[6]

References
  1. "Orbexilum onobrychis". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  2. Alan Weakley (2015). "Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States".
  3. "Orbexilum onobrychis". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  4. French grass (Orbexilum onobrychis) Illinois Wildflowers
  5. Yatskievych, George (2013). Flora of Missouri, Volume 3. Missouri Botanical Garden Press. pp. 113–114.
  6. "Hystrichophora loricana". NatureServe. Retrieved 2018-10-01.
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