BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Cassia fasciculata | Showy Partridgepea 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Showy partridgepea is a native annual legume [15,16,30,39].  It ranges
in height from 0.6 inch to 3 feet (0.15-0.91 m) but usually grows to 2
feet (0.61 m) [16,39].  The stems are erect or ascending, branching
freely from the base.  The leaves are 1.18 to 3.34 inches (3-11 cm)
long.  Showy partridgepea has a taproot.  Secondary roots are well
developed, forming a fibrous root system [6].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Therophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Flowers and Fruit:  Showy partridgepea flowers are cross-pollinated by
bees, flies, and ants [4].  The fruit is a legume containing 9 to 15
seeds [39].  Seeds are ingested and dispersed in droppings of birds and
small mammals [15,16,39].

Seed germination:  Germination is improved by scarification and
stratification [25,39].  Boiling showy partridgepea seeds for 15 to 60
seconds softens the seed coat and increases germination.  Nicking the
seed with a razor blade will also increase germination [25].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Showy partridgepea is common on disturbed areas throughout its range.
It often forms extensive colonies along firelines, roadside ditches, and
old fields [16,39].  It grows on prairies, bluffs, riverbanks and
riverbottoms, as well as upland woods of the Great Plains [39].  Showy
partridgepea is common on sandy flatwoods of xerophytic deciduous and
coniferous forests in the uplands of the lower Gulf Coastal Plain [26].

Soils:  Showy partridgepea is most common on sandy to sandy loam soils
[30,39].  It grows best in full sunlight and has low water requirements
[30].  The lower pH limit of showy partridgepea is 5.0 [41].

Associate species:  Showy partridgepea is often found associated with
the following species:  purpletop (Tridens flavus), wild-honeysuckle
(Gaura filiformis), Canadian horseweed (Conyza canadensis), threeawn
(Aristida desmantha), rough bottonweed (Diodia teres), broomsedge
(Andropogon virginicus), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), sumac (Rhus
spp.), blackberry (Rubus spp.), panicgrass (Panicum spp.), indiangrass
(Sorghastrum nutans), sensitive partridgepea (Cassia mictitans),
lespedeza (Lespedeza spp.), and ragweed (Amborsia spp.) [3,32].


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Facultative Seral Species

Showy partridgepea most commonly occurs as a pioneer or colonizer of
disturbed areas.  It also occupies but is less abundant in mid- to
late-seral stages of grassland and forest succession [6,11,38].  Showy
partridgepea was most abundant in the initial community following
harvest of all but a few scattered oaks (Quercus spp.) in a east Texas
upland forest.  It was found to be considerably less abundant in
adjacent uncut wooded areas [38].


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Showy partridgepea generally flowers from June through October
[6,22,30,39].  In years of normal rainfall, the bright yellow flowers
appear continously through most of the growing season [16].

Related categories for Species: Cassia fasciculata | Showy Partridgepea