. It is native to fields and woods in the southeastern and central United States. It blooms from June to September.
This species is best distinguished from its congeners by its thick, relatively straight keel petal, held close to the banner petal. It also uniquely possesses a perennial, branched
caudex
A caudex (plural: caudices) of a plant is a stem, but the term is also used to mean a rootstock and particularly a basal stem structure from which new growth arises.pages 456 and 695
In the strict sense of the term, meaning a stem, "caudex" is m ...
at its base. It is most similar morphologically to ''S. helvola'', the differences being that ''S. helvola'' has a much thinner keel, curving away more from the banner petal throughout its length. Its leaf morphology can be highly variable, ranging from the highly lobed panduriform shape typical of ''
Strophostyles helvola
''Strophostyles helvola'', commonly called amberique-bean, annual sand bean, or trailing fuzzybean is a species of flowering plant in the legume family. It is native to eastern Canada and the eastern United States.''S. leiosperma''.
''Strophostyles umbellata'' individuals tend to be scattered from one another, which, possibly combined with self-incompatibility, can contribute to their observed low pod set. Like ''S. helvola'', its seeds also possess a cellular, waxy coating, which may aide in buoyancy and water dispersal.