Chamaecrista fasciculata

Chamaecrista fasciculata, “showy partridge pea”
Fabaceae

I first met this native annual legume at Oak Spirit.

Excellent pollinator plant with extra-floral nectaries at the base of its leaves. Meaning the thing is putting out nectar for pollinators that aren’t even visiting its flowers, much like some strains of elderberrie. It is often planted for honey production and soil stabilization, the seeds are one of the major food items of bobwhite and other quail. If there is a seed source it often moves in early after soil disturbance, then politely fades out when its work is done. Nutritious livestock forage but poisonous when consumed in large amounts (like most forage species lol).

(NRCS Plant Fact Sheet)

Apparently Cherokee athletes would use the root to keep from tiring during ball games??

(“Medicinal Plants of the Heartland”, Kaye and Billington)

Upright, 60-90 cm tall, unbranched, or few-branched near or above middle of stem.

Pinnately compound, leaflets 10-20 mm long, 2-5 mm wide.

Gland located near middle of petiole sessile or nearly so (potentially unreliable; use leaflets)

Yellow flowers, petals subequal (largest petal only slightly larger than others), 25-30 mm diameter, 10 stamens.

Prairies, glades, fallow fields.

Compare with C. nictitans (leaves fold rapidly when touched, smaller leaves and flowers, gland on stalk)