Tephrosia thurberi

Kearney and Peebles 1969

Duration: Perennial Nativity: Native Lifeform: Forb/Herb General: Herbaceous to suffrutescent perennials, stems erect, herbage with spreading as well as short appressed hairs. Leaves: Alternate, odd-pinnate, leaflets ovate with a short acuminate tip, pubescent on both surfaces. Flowers: Light pink to light purple, with banner, wing, and keel petals (papilionaceous), inflorescences short, broad and dense, mostly terminal. Fruits: Pods hirsutulous, 3.5-4.5 mm wide, long, narrow, with a long, slender tip. Ecology: Found on dry slopes among oaks and pines, from 4,500-7,000 ft (1372-2134 m); flowering July-September. Distribution: Southern Arizona; Mexico. Notes: T. thurberi is thought to be distinguished from the other 2 species of Tephrosia in Arizona by the spreading and short-appressed hairs of the stems, the leaflets pubescent on both sides, and the short, broad, dense terminal racemes. Ethnobotany: There is no use recorded for this species, but other species in this genus have uses. Etymology: The meaning of Tephrosia is unknown, while means thurberi is named after Dr. George Thurber (1821-1890), called the most accomplished horticulturist in America, and botanist and quartermaster of the Mexican Boundary Survey, 1850-1854. Synonyms: Cracca thurberi Editor: LCrumbacher 2012