This native, annual herbaceous vine has rose-colored or yellow flowers which have a distinctively curved keel with a purple tip (A,B,D,E). The developing seed pods are shown below the flower (A); fully grown in (F). They turn brown then black as they ripen (G). The leaves have three leaflets which are slightly lobed as shown in image (C).
This vine had not been seen in our two nature centers for many years, but one flowering plant appeared along Marsh Trail in Fontenelle Forest in mid-July of 2012, after the flood the year before.
A similar Slick-Seed Wid Bean (S. leiosperma) may also be present in this area, but it has smaller flowers.
The content of NatureSearch is provided by dedicated volunteer Naturalists of Fontenelle Forest who strive to provide the most accurate information available. Contributors of the images retain their copyrights. The point of contact for this page is: Roland Barth.