Jepson Herbarium
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Annual to tree.
Leaf: generally alternate, generally compound, generally stipuled, generally entire, pinnately veined
Inflorescence: generally raceme, spike, umbel or head; or flowers 1–few in axils.
Flower: generally bisexual, generally bilateral; hypanthium 0 or flat to tubular; sepals generally 5, generally fused; petals generally 5, free, fused, or lower 2 ± united into keel (see 3, Key to Groups, for banner, wings); stamens 10 or many (or [1], 5, 6, 7, 9), free or fused or 10 with 9 filaments at least partly fused, 1 (uppermost) free; pistil 1, ovary superior, generally 1-chambered, ovules 1–many, style, stigma 1.
Fruit: legume, including a stalk-like base (above receptacle) or not.
Seed: 1–many, often ± reniform, generally hard, smooth.
± 730 genera, 19400 species: worldwide; with grasses, requisite in agriculture, most natural ecosystems. Many cultivated, most importantly Arachis, peanut; Glycine, soybean; Phaseolus, beans; Medicago, alfalfa; Trifolium, clovers; many orns. [Lewis et al. (eds) 2005 Legumes of the World. RBG, Kew] Unless stated otherwise, fruit length incl stalk-like base, number of 2° leaflets is per 1° leaflet. Upper suture of fruit adaxial, lower abaxial. Anthyllis vulneraria L. evidently a waif, a contaminant of legume seed from Europe. Laburnum anagyroides Medik., collected on Mount St. Helena in 1987, may be naturalized. Ceratonia siliqua L., carob tree (Group 2), differs from Gleditsia triacanthos L. in having evergreen (vs deciduous) leaves that are 1-pinnate (vs 1-pinnate on spurs on old stems, 2-pinnate on new stems) with 2–5(8) (vs 7–17) 1° leaflets, commonly cult, now naturalized in s CA. Aeschynomene rudis Benth. <Noxious weed>, Halimodendron halodendron (Pall.) Voss <Noxious weed> (possibly extirpated), Lens culinaris Medik. are agricultural weeds. Caragana arborescens Lam. only cult. Ononis alopecuroides L. <Noxious weed>, Sphaerophysa salsula (Pall.) DC. <Noxious weed> all evidently extirpated. Cercidium moved to Parkinsonia; Chamaecytisus to Cytisus; Psoralidium lanceolatum to Ladeania. —Scientific Editors: Martin F. Wojciechowski, Thomas J. Rosatti.

Key to Fabaceae

Shrub, spiny or unarmed; generally deciduous.
Stem: generally ribbed or angled, green.
Leaf: generally alternate, ternately 1- compound or simple, petioled; stipules fused to leaf bases (0).
Inflorescence: axillary or terminal, racemes, heads, or flowers in clusters on short- shoots.
Flower: bilateral; calyx generally < corolla, 2-lipped, upper 2-lobed, lobes ± 1/2 tube, lower generally 3-toothed, < upper lobes; petals 5, generally yellow, banner generally ovate or rounded, outside generally glabrous or variously hairy, keel narrowly oblong to obtuse, ± straight abaxially, often silky-hairy; stamens 10, filaments fused; style ± abruptly bent at tip.
Fruit: generally dehiscent, narrowly oblong, compressed, or curved, ± inflated; pedicel < 7 mm.
Seed: 1–several-seeded, generally arilled.
90 species: Eur, w Asia, n Africa, Canary Islands. (Latin: from planta genista, from which English Plantagenet monarchs took their name) Generic circumscription difficult, but Pardo et al. (2004 Plant Syst Evol 244:93–119) suggest recognizing Genista in broad sense (i.e., including Retama, Teline, Ulex). Many naturalized CA plants are hybrids involving Genista canariensis, Genista monspessulana, and Genista stenopetala Webb & Berthel. (native of Canary Islands; not in CA in pure form), although determining parentage in generally often difficult.
Unabridged references: [Gibbs & Dingwall 1971 Bol Soc Brot 45:269–316]

Shrub < 3 m.
Stem: twigs silvery-silky-hairy, at least in youth.
Leaf: stipules < 2 mm, deciduous; petiole < 5 mm; leaflets generally 10–15 mm, oblanceolate to widely obovate, length ± 2 × width, hairs generally 0 adaxially, appressed or spreading abaxially.
Inflorescence: racemes short, dense, axillary, on short- shoots, 15–60 mm; flowers 4–10; pedicels 1–3 mm.
Flower: calyx 5–7 mm, silky-hairy; banner 10–15 mm, ovate, hairy only on midrib or glabrous.
Fruit: 15–25 mm, densely silky-hairy.
Seed: 3–6.
Common. Disturbed places; < 900 m. Outer North Coast Ranges, Inner North Coast Ranges, Cascade Range Foothills, n High Sierra Nevada, San Francisco Bay Area, Outer South Coast Ranges, s Channel Islands, Western Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges (San Diego Co.);

Previous taxon: Genista monosperma
Next taxon: Gleditsia

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].

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Bioregions in which taxon occurs	Markers link to CCH specimen records. If the markers are obscured, reload the page [or change window size and reload]. Yellow markers indicate records that may provide evidence for eFlora range revision or may have georeferencing or identification issues.
Chart based on elevation range in Manual and elevations and coordinates of CCH records. Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria. Note: About half of the CCH records include both elevation and coordinates.	Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria. View all CCH records   CCH collections by month Duplicates counted once; synonyms included. Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa. Blue line denotes Manual flowering time.