''Tephrosia mysteriosa'', commonly known as sandhill tippitoes, 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 ...

first described by Kris DeLaney in 2010. It grows on sandhills and is endemic to the

Lake Wales Lake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida. The population was 14,225 at the 2010 census. , the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 16,759. It is part of the Lakeland– Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. Lake Wales is ...

and

Mount Dora Ridge Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

s of Florida. DeLaney collected the type specimen on August 3, 2006, in Carter Creek Preserve, Highlands County, Florida. Each stem of the specimen has up to 9–13 leaflets.

Description

The stems of ''Tephrosia mysteriosa'' are

prostrate Prostrate may refer to:- *Prostration, a position of submission in religion etc. *Prone position, a face-down orientation of the body *Prostrate shrub A prostrate shrub is a woody plant, most of the branches of which lie upon or just above the ...

, covered with trichomes ( indumentum), and tawny. There are typically 7–11 leaflets per stem; these are approximately long and wide. The leaflets are olive green and elliptical, with

strigose Trichomes (); ) are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. A covering of any kind of hair on a plant ...

hairs on the underside. ''T. mysteriosa'' blooms from May to October, with its red buds opening to flowers that are white to light pink in color.

References

mysteriosa Endemic flora of Florida Plants described in 2010 Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Millettieae-stub