About Strophostyles leiosperma (Torr. & A.Gray) Piper
Strophostyles leiosperma, commonly called slickseed fuzzybean, smoothseed wildbean, or small-flower wildbean, is a species of herbaceous vining legume native to central to western United States. Its distribution extends west to Colorado and New Mexico, east to Louisiana, south to Mexico, and north to Minnesota. It can be most easily distinguished from the other two species in the Strophostyles genus by the dense covering of small silky hairs on its leaves and pods, and small pea-shaped flowers that have a highly reduced keel, which is mostly hidden by the wing petals. This plant grows as an annual or a short-lived perennial. Overall, S. leiosperma is a smaller, more diminutive plant than its closely related species, with all parts tending to be smaller. Its leaflets are typically thin, rarely lobed, and never deeply lobed. Unlike other Strophostyles species, its seeds rarely have a waxy, hairy covering. This species tends to grow in drier sites. Its specific epithet leiosperma translates to "smooth seed." Of all Strophostyles species, S. leiosperma is the most likely to be capable of self-fertilization.
