Amorpha L.

Greek amorphos — without shape, referring to the flowers.

Shrubs. Leaves alternate, odd-pinnate with up to 45 leaflets; stipules soon shed; stipels thread-like. Flowers numerous in dense clusters. Sepals fused into a funnel shape and with 5 teeth. Petal 1, the standard, which surrounds the stamens and style. Stamen filaments 10, united at the base into a tube. Fruit glandular,1-seeded, remaining closed. Grown for the attractive foliage and dense, spike-like flower heads.

15 species from N America and Mexico.

Cuttings and division.

Petals 1, the 10 stamens protruding from the flowers.

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Fabaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 3. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 2. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.

Hero image
kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Rosanae
order      Fabales
family       Fabaceae
Higher taxa
Subordinate taxa
species         Amorpha fruticosa L.