Neptunia pubescens

Family:FABACEAE
Species:Neptunia pubescens Benth.
Common Name:Tropical Puff; Tropical Neptunia
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Herb
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:NEOU3
Plant Notes:Tropical Puff is a native short-lived herbaceous perennial in the Bean family (Fabaceae). It is found in coastal areas. Tropical Puff occurs in salt marshes, on dunes, on shell mounds, and on roadsides. It is a short-lived perennial from a taproot. Stems are prostrate with scattered stalked glands or almost glabrous, and up to 6 feet in length. The stems are green or reddish in color, cylindrical, and with 3 ridges descending from each leaf. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, bi-pinnately compound, with 2-4 pairs of pinnae each with 15-25 pairs of leaflets. Leaflets are oblong, glabrous on the surface with ciliate along their margins. The leaflets are usually paler green towards their base, giving the pinna a yellowish-green stripe down their center. Like some species of Mimosa, the leaves of Tropical Puff will fold when touched or at night. Flowers are produced in ovoid or cylindrical heads from the axils of the leaves. Each head has 20-30 flowers, the upper flowers are perfect and fertile, those in the lower part of the inflorescence sterile with flattened staminodes. The fruit is a flattened, oblong legume. Tropical Puff is sometimes available from native plant nurseries. It can be grown as a low ground cover. Tropical Puff is a larval food plant for the Ceraunus Blue butterfly (Hemiargus ceraunus).—A. Diamond.
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Native, FAC (NWI)
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyFABACEAE - Pea/Bean family
Genus Neptunia
Species Neptunia pubescens Benth. - Tropical Puff; Tropical Neptunia

Citation

Citation Neptunia pubescens Bentham, J. Bot. (Hooker) 4(31): 356. 1841.
Basionym: **
Type: PERU: Lima: Lima, s.d., Cuming s.n. (holotype: K).

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Acacia insularis Acacia insularis A. Richard, in Sagra, Hist. Phys. Cuba,, Pl. Vasc. 1: 464. 1845. CUBA: Isle of Pines: Without data, Sagra s.n. (holotype: P).
Neptunia lindheimeri Neptunia lindheimeri B. L. Robinson, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 33: 333. 1898. TEXAS: Harris Co.: Prairies about Houston, Jun 1843, Lindheimer s.n. (holotype: GH).
Neptunia mazatlana Neptunia mazatlana Britton & Rose, in Britton, N. Amer. Fl. 23: 182. 1928. MEXICO: Sinaloa: Vicinity of Mazatlan, 4 Apr 1910, Rose et al. 14001 (holotype: US; isotype: NY).
Neptunia pubescens var. floridana Neptunia pubescens Bentham, var. floridana (Small) B. L. Turner, Amer. Midl. Naturalist 46: 89. 1951.Neptunia floridana Small 1898. 
Neptunia pubescens var. lindheimeri Neptunia pubescens Bentham, var. lindheimeri (B. L. Robinson) B. L. Turner, Amer. Midl. Naturalist 46: 88. 1951.Neptunia lindheimeri B. Robinson 1898. 
Neptunia floridana Neptunia floridana Small, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 25: 138. 1898. FLORIDA: Without data, Chapman s.n. (lectotype: NY). Lectotypified by B. L. Turner, Amer. Midl. Naturalist 46: 89. 1951.

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Mobile

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AUA, JSU, UNA, USAM, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1892 - 1892

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.
Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used
Image
JSU135837 Mobile 12 Jun 1997 Spaulding, Daniel D.
9900
JSU
Neptunia pubescens Bentham
ALNHS00004344 Mobile 07 Sep 2016 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#2473
ALNHS
Neptunia pubescens Benth.
USAM000006558 Mobile 17 Jun 1980 LeLong, Michel G.
11157
USAM
Neptunia pubescens Bentham
UWAL0032809 Mobile 02 Oct 2015 Keener, Brian R.
9274
UWAL
Neptunia pubescens Bentham
UNA00017780 Mobile 10 Sep 1892 Mohr, Charles
s.n.
UNA
Neptunia pubescens Benth.
ALNHS00004286 Mobile 25 Aug 2016 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#2549
ALNHS
Neptunia pubescens Benth.
AUA000012778 Mobile 15 Aug 1973 Kral, Robert
51327
AUA
Neptunia Pubescens Benth.
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