Amorpha canescens
Small prairie shrub with deep roots and medicinal uses.
Amorpha canescens, a perennial semi-shrub from the pea family, is native to North America and goes by names like leadplant and prairie shoestring. Its hairy compound leaves have a leaden look, which explains the common name. This plant’s roots reach 5 meters deep and spread 1 meter wide.
Quick Facts
- Species
- canescens
Facts from the source article.
Description
Leadplant typically stands between 0.3 and 1 m tall. Its small purple flowers with yellow stamens are grouped in long spikes, and the grey-green leaflets are alternate and pinnately compound. The plant produces hairy legumes, each containing one seed. It resembles Amorpha fruticosa but is shorter and prefers drier habitats.
Uses
Leadplant served many purposes for Indigenous peoples like the Oglala, who used it for pinworms, eczema, rheumatism, neuralgia, and wounds. Its leaves could be brewed as tea or dried, crushed, and smoked with buffalo fat. The plant also nourishes grazing animals, controls erosion, and enriches soil through nitrogen-fixing bacteria in its roots. On the western side of the Mississippi in Iowa, Meskwaki women sought it because it sometimes signaled the location of lead.
Taxonomy
Frederick Pursh first described Amorpha canescens in 1814. This plant is classified in the subfamily Papilionoideae within the Fabaceae family. Its species name, canescens, comes from botanical Latin and translates to "becoming grey." Some botanists have proposed variants like A. canescens var. glabrata, based on leaf hairiness and color, but this division is rarely accepted because the plant's pubescence varies widely.
Distribution and habitat
Amorpha canescens ranges from southern Canada south to Texas and New Mexico, and from Montana east to Michigan. It is typically found in dry prairie and savanna communities with well-drained sandy, gravelly, or rocky soils. Its presence indicates minimal livestock grazing and land that is not overgrown or has experienced regular fire.
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