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

Tree, shrub, with stipular spines at nodes or thorns in leaf axis (see leaf scars) or main leaf axis a strong spine.
Stem: ± zigzag; bark smooth, green.
Leaf: alternate or in clusters of 1–6 in spine axils, generally even-2- pinnate, sometimes appearing 1- pinnate, main axis flat, leaflets alternate, falling early or not; 1° leaflets 2–6; 2° leaflets 4–many.
Inflorescence: raceme, axillary, generally < 7-flowered.
Flower: ± bilateral; sepals ± free, alike, generally reflexed; petals ± equal, generally yellow or cream-white; stamens 10, yellow to orange, free, exserted.
Fruit: indehiscent to partly late- dehiscent, generally flat, oblong, ± inflated, narrowed between seeds or not.
Seed: 1–several.
11–12 species, 2 named hybrids: Am, s US to Argentina, Africa; cultivated. (J. Parkinson, London, apothecary, author, 1567–1650) [Haston et al. 2005 Amer J Bot 92:1359–1371; Hawkins 1996 Ph.D. Dissertation, Univ Oxford, UK] Haston et al., Hawkins support treatment of Cercidium and Parkinsonia, both recognized in TJM (1993), as single, monophyletic genus.
Unabridged references: [Carter 1974 Proc Calif Acad Sci 40(2):17–57; Haston et al. 2005 Amer J Bot 92:1359–1371; Hawkins 1996 Ph.D. Dissertation, Univ of Oxford, UK]
Unabridged note: Since S. Watson (1870s), Cercidium and Parkinsonia have variously been treated as 1 or 2 genera; Carter 1974 and McClintock in TJM (1993) recognized both genera but work of Hawkins 1996 (Ph.D. Dissertation, Univ. Oxford, UK) and Haston et al. 2005 (Amer J Bot 92:1359–1371) support treatment as 1 monophyletic group.

Tree generally < 8 m, with thorns in leaf axils; branches spreading, ± zigzagged, ± glabrous.
Leaf: petioled, blue-green; 1° leaflets 1 pair, axis < 1 cm; 2° leaflets 2–6, 4–8 mm.
Flower: corolla 2–2.5 cm, banner 9–15 mm, widely ovate, yellow, orange-dotted or not.
Fruit: indehiscent, 3–10 cm, flat, tan, ± not narrowed between seeds; tip beak-like.
Uncommon. Washes, floodplains; ± 1100 m. Desert;

Previous taxon: Parkinsonia aculeata
Next taxon: Parkinsonia microphylla

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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.