Round-Headed Bush Clover

Lespedeza capitata

Also known as: prairie bush clover · round-head bushclover · roundhead lespedeza · roundhead bushclover

Plantae

UNCOMMON

Stats

Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Medium
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Temperate grassland
Range: North America
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Uncommon

About

This prairie plant grows in dry, open fields across eastern North America. Its dense flower heads contain tiny seeds that stay attached throughout the winter.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Lespedeza
Species: Lespedeza capitata