''Hoita orbicularis'' is a species of
legume
A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...
known by the common name roundleaf leather-root. It is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, where it is relatively widespread throughout the state's mountain ranges, growing most often in moist habitat. It is a perennial herb growing prostrate or nearly so at ground level with large leaves each made up of three round leaflets up to long each. The herbage is glandular and often hairy. The
inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...
is an erect
raceme
A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...
which may be up to long. Each of the many flowers is one or two centimeters long, pealike, and generally a shade of light to medium purple in color. The fruit is a hairy, veiny
legume
A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...
pod just under long.
External links
Jepson Manual TreatmentUSDA Plants ProfilePhoto gallery
Psoraleeae
Flora of California
Flora without expected TNC conservation status
{{Faboideae-stub