Butterfly Pea
探検植物
Butterfly Pea
centrosema virginianum
Centrosema virginianum, commonly known as the spurred butterfly pea, is a delicate and attractive perennial climbing vine native to the pine barrens, sandy coastal zones, and open woodlands of the Americas. As a member of the legume family (Fabaceae), this resilient plant is celebrated for its intricate, lavender-to-violet orchid-like flowers and its crucial ecological role as a nitrogen fixer, which naturally enriches the nutrient-poor soils in which it thrives. Beyond its visual appeal, the spurred butterfly pea provides essential ecosystem services. It acts as an invaluable nectar source for native pollinators, particularly heavy-bodied bees capable of manipulating its specialized flower petals, and serves as a vital host plant for several butterfly caterpillars. Its climbing habit allows it to weave through surrounding grasses and shrubs, adding pops of vibrant color to sunny, dry landscapes.
生息地: Typically found in dry, sandy soils within open pine flatwoods, coastal dunes, oak scrub, and disturbed roadsides.
外見
This climbing or trailing vine features slender, slightly hairy stems that can reach up to 200 cm in length. Its compound leaves consist of three narrow, oval-to-lanceolate leaflets. The most distinctive feature is the inverted (resupinate) flower, measuring about 3 to 4 cm across, which is predominantly pale violet, lavender, or light blue with a white and purple-striped throat. A small spur is located on the back of the broad upper petal (the banner), and the plant eventually produces long, flat, narrow seedpods that twist open when dry.
界Plantae門Tracheophyta綱Magnoliopsida目Fabales科Fabaceae属Centrosema
カテゴリ
植物レア度
Common
危険度
1/5 · 非常に低い
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おもしろい事実
Because it hosts nitrogen-fixing bacteria, this plant serves as a natural fertilizer, restoring soil quality in degraded or sandy ecosystems.
Its flowers are resupinate, meaning they develop upside down so that the stigmas and stamens point downward, brushing pollen onto the backs of foraging bees.
The common name 'spurred butterfly pea' comes from the small, spur-like projection on the back of its large banner petal.
特殊能力
能力
Atmospheric Nitrogen Fixation
Symbiotic rhizobium bacteria housed in its root nodules convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable plant nutrient, allowing it to flourish in sterile, sandy soils.
能力
Resupinate Flowering
The flowers grow upside-down compared to typical legumes, positioning the heavy banner petal at the bottom to act as a landing platform for robust pollinators.
能力
Explosive Seed Dispersal
Upon reaching maturity, the elongated seedpods dry out and build tension, eventually splitting open rapidly and twisting to fling seeds several feet away.
サイズと詳細
- 長さ
- 50-200 cm
- 寿命
- 2-7 年
食性と食事
As a photoautotrophic plant, it produces its own energy through photosynthesis using sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and soil minerals.
主な食物
- Sunlight
- Carbon dioxide
- Water
- Soil minerals
生態系とのつながり
host plant
Long-tailed Skipper
Urbanus proteus
The caterpillars feed on the leaves of the vine as their primary food source.
mutualism
Eastern Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa virginica
Acts as a primary pollinator, possessing the strength required to pry open the heavy petals to reach nectar.
eaten by
Northern Bobwhite
Colinus virginianus
This bird frequently consumes the highly nutritious seeds scattered by the plant.
特徴
このオブジェクトにはまだ特徴バッジが割り当てられていません。
別名
まだ別名はありません。
コレクション
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安全性
危険度
1/5 · 非常に低い
まだ特別な安全上の注意はありません。
よくある質問
Butterfly Peaを見分けるには？
Butterfly Peaを識別する最も簡単な方法は、Snappit自然識別アプリを使用することです。
Butterfly Peaの長さは何ですか？
50-200 cm
Butterfly Peaの寿命は何ですか？
2-7 年
Butterfly Peaは何を食べますか？
As a photoautotrophic plant, it produces its own energy through photosynthesis using sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and soil minerals.
Butterfly Peaは通常どこに生息していますか？
Typically found in dry, sandy soils within open pine flatwoods, coastal dunes, oak scrub, and disturbed roadsides.
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