|
Wildlife, Animals, and Plants
|
|
Introductory
SPECIES: Lespedeza cuneata | Sericea Lespedeza
ABBREVIATION :
LESCUN
SYNONYMS :
NO-ENTRY
SCS PLANT CODE :
LECU
COMMON NAMES :
sericea lespedeza
Chinese bushclover
TAXONOMY :
The currently accepted scientiifc name for sericea lespedeza is
Lespedeza cuneata (Dumont) G. Don. [8]. There are no recognized
subspecies, varieties, or forms.
LIFE FORM :
Forb
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS :
No special status
OTHER STATUS :
NO-ENTRY
COMPILED BY AND DATE :
Milo Coladonato, November 1992
LAST REVISED BY AND DATE :
NO-ENTRY
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION :
Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Lespedeza cuneata. In: Remainder of Citation
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Lespedeza cuneata | Sericea Lespedeza
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION :
Sericea lespedeza is native to Japan [22]. It has been introduced
into the United States and now occurs from southern New Jersey to
central Florida, and westward into eastern Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
It occurs as far north as the southern half of Illinois, Indiana, and
Ohio [3,8,11].
ECOSYSTEMS :
FRES12 Longleaf - slash pine
FRES13 Loblolly - shortleaf pine
FRES14 Oak - pine
FRES15 Oak - hickory
FRES16 Oak - gum - cypress
STATES :
AL AR DE FL GA HI IL IN KS KY
LA MD MS MO NJ NC OH OK PA SC
TN TX VA WV
ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS :
BITH BUFF CAHA CHCH COLO DEWA
FODC GATE GWMP GRSM GUIS HOBE
HOSP MANA NERI OBRI OZAR RICH
VAFO WICR
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS :
NO-ENTRY
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS :
K089 Black Belt
K100 Oak - hickory forest
K104 Appalachian oak forest
K111 Oak - hickory - pine forest
K112 Southern mixed forest
K115 Sand pine scrub
SAF COVER TYPES :
69 Sand pine
70 Longleaf pine
71 Longleaf pine - scrub oak
75 Shortleaf pine
76 Shortleaf pine - oak
80 Loblolly pine - shortleaf pine
81 Loblolly pine
82 Loblolly pine - hardwood
84 Slash pine
85 Slash pine - hardwood
87 Sweet gum - yellow-poplar
89 Live oak
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES :
NO-ENTRY
VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Lespedeza cuneata | Sericea Lespedeza
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE :
Sericea lespedeza has been grown in the South for hay with good results.
Cattle will graze sericea through the growing season, particularly when
the plant is young and tender [11].
Sericea lespedeza is often planted as a food source for the northern
bobwhite and other upland birds. Rabbits eat the bark in the winter.
The foliage is eaten by deer, rabbits, and wild turkey. The seeds are
eaten by birds and rodents [4,20].
PALATABILITY :
NO-ENTRY
NUTRITIONAL VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
COVER VALUE :
Sericea lespedeza provides good cover for songbirds, quail, and small
mammals [21].
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES :
Sericea lespedeza ia a nitrogen-fixing legume planted for wildlife
habitat improvement; erosion control; and stabilization of streambanks,
steep slopes, and highway embankments. The leaves that drop during the
growing season and after frost make an excellent mulch. The leaf mulch,
the dense stands of plants, and the deep, branching root system protect
the soil against running water. The leaf mold and network of plant roots
improve soil structure by making the topsoil more porous [10,12].
Propagation: Seeds should be scarified; if not scarified, they should
be planted a month earlier than usual. Sericea lespedeza should be
planted later than the annual lespedezas, but preferably before May 15.
It should be broadcast seeded at a rate of 15 to 20 pounds (13-17 kg/ha)
per acre on a prepared seedbed. If the site is severely eroded, a light
cover of pine boughs, straw, or other mulch is recommended for temporary
protection [11,24]. The main advantage of sericea lespedeza is that it
provides a long-term or permanent cover that requires little or no
mainitenance [23].
OTHER USES AND VALUES :
Sericea lespedeza is a good honey plant [21].
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Sericea lespedeza can interfere with initial tree growth and survival
and reduce the number of native plant species [18].
Insects: Very few insects feed on sericea lespedeza. Grass armyworms
occasionally defoliate the plants. If they arrive in late summer or
early fall, they can destroy the seed crop [11].
Diseases: Sericea lespedeza is generally free of diseases severe enough
to retard growth or thin out the stands. It is susceptible to cotton
root rot and should not be planted on land where this disease is
present. Cotton root rot is confined largely to the Blacklands of Texas
[11].
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Lespedeza cuneata | Sericea Lespedeza
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS :
Sericea lespedeza is an introduced, perennial legume ranging in height
from 1.5 to 6.0 (0.5-1.8 m) feet [8]. The stems are herbaceous to
somewhat woody with numerous straight branches. The leaves are
alternate and erect with three-foliated leaflets. The inflorescences
are mostly solitary or in clusters of two. The fruit is a legume 0.10
to 0.13 inches (0.25-0.33 cm) long and containing one seed. Sericea
lespedeza's taproot grows to about 4 feet (1.2 m) deep [8,19].
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM :
Phanerophyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES :
Sexual reproduction: Sericea lespedeza's primary mode of reproduction
is by seed. Honey bees are the primary pollinator. Seeds are stored in
the seed bank or ingested by birds and dispersed in their droppings
[11,24].
Vegetative reproduction: Sericea lespedeza will sprout from the caudex
after being top-killed [19].
SITE CHARACTERISTICS :
Sericea lespedeza grows well on many kinds of soils but does best on
deep well-drained loess soils. It grows satisfactorily on moderately
well-drained soils and on many sandy soils. It grows well on sandy
loams that have a clay loam subsoil within 18 to 24 inches (45-60 cm) of
the surface and on deep sands that are well supplied with organic matter
[9]. Sericea lespedeza also grows on hardpan soils if the hardpan is
deep enough below the soil surface for roots to develop above it [11].
Sericea lespedeza grows on soils ranging in pH from 4.0 to 7.0 but does
best on soils with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. It will stand some flooding,
particularly in winter. Sericea lespedeza can survive as long as 10
days under cool moving water but it does not live long under warm
standing water. Sericea is not well suited to areas where the rainfall
is less than 30 to 35 inches (760-880 mm) [11].
Common overstory associates of sericea lespedeza include boxelder (Acer
negundo), sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), sugar maple (A. saccharum),
cedar elm (Ulmus crassifolia), oaks (Quercus spp.), and hickories (Carya
spp.). Common shrub associates include swamp privet (Forestiera
acuminata), roughleaf dogwood (Cornus drummondii), hawthorns (Crataegus
spp.), water elm (Planera aquatica), shining sumac (Rhus copallina), and
buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) [9,11,14].
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS :
Obligate Initial Community Species
Sericea lespedeza is a colonizer of early- to mid-seral grasslands and
open forest communities. In a mixture with grass it usually becomes the
dominant species after 3 to 4 years. It usually forms dense stands that
prevent or retard the natural invasion of other plants [23]. Sericea
lespedeza is probably shade intolerant.
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT :
Sericea lespedeza generally flowers from July to September. The fruit
ripens from late September to late October [8,21].
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Lespedeza cuneata | Sericea Lespedeza
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS :
Sericea lespedeza will sprout from the caudex following top-kill [11].
Fire-scarified seed is an important source for colonizing burned areas
[24].
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY :
Caudex, growing points in soil
Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)
FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Lespedeza cuneata | Sericea Lespedeza
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT :
Fire typically top-kills sericea lespedeza [3].
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT :
NO-ENTRY
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE :
Sericea lespedeza increases following fire. In a study of the response
of legumes to prescribed burning in South Carolina, sericea lespedeza
occurrence increased from 2 plots prefire to 17 plots in the first
growing season after fire; details were not given [2,6].
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE :
NO-ENTRY
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Prescribed fire can increase sericea lespedeza density and consequently
improve the habitat of the northern bobwhite and other game birds.
Sericea lespedeza is also a nitrogen-fixing plant that can restore
nitrogen to the soil after fire [1,6].
REFERENCES
SPECIES: Lespedeza cuneata | Sericea Lespedeza
REFERENCES :
1. Boring, Lindsay R.; Hendricks, Joseph J.; Edwards, M. Boyd. 1991. Loss,
retention, and replacement of nitrogen associated with site preparation
burning in southern pine-hardwood forests. In: Nodvin, Stephen C.;
Waldrop, Thomas A., eds. Fire and the environment: ecological and
cultural perspectives: Proceedings of an international symposium; 1990
March 20-24; Knoxville, TN. Gen. Tech. Rep. SE-69. Asheville, NC: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southeastern Forest
Experiment Station: 145-153. [16645]
2. Hironaka, Minoru. 1986. Piemeisel exclosures. Rangelands. 8(5): 221-223.
[1157]
3. Cushwa, Charles T.; Martin, Robert E.; Miller, Robert L. 1968. The
effects of fire on seed germination. Journal of Range Management. 21:
250-254. [11494]
4. Ellis, Jack A.; Edwards, William R.; Thomas, Keith P. 1969. Responses of
bobwhites to management in Illinois. Journal of Wildlife Management.
33(4): 749-762. [16070]
5. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and
Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]
6. Froelich, R. C.; Hodges, C. S., Jr.; Sackett, S. S. 1978. Prescribed
burning reduces severity of annosus root rot in the South. Forest
Science. 24: 93-100. [8332]
7. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others].
1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range
ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998]
8. Radford, Albert E.; Ahles, Harry E.; Bell, C. Ritchie. 1968. Manual of
the vascular flora of the Carolinas. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of
North Carolina Press. 1183 p. [7606]
9. Golley, Frank B. 1965. Structure and function of an old-field broomsedge
community. Ecological Monographs. 35(1): 113-137. [17419]
10. Graham, Edward H. 1941. Legumes for erosion control and wildlife. Misc.
Publ. 412. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 153 p.
[10234]
11. Guernsey, Walter J. 1970. Sericea lespedeza: Its use and management.
Farmers' Bulletin No. 2245. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Agriculture. 29 p. [17264]
12. Hartley, Jeanne J.; Arner, Dale H.; Hartley, Danny R. 1990. Woody plant
succession on disposal areas of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. In:
Hughes, H. Glenn; Bonnicksen, Thomas M., eds. Restoration '89: the new
management challenge: Proceedings, 1st annual meeting of the Society for
Ecological Restoration; 1989 January 16-20; Oakland, CA. Madison, WI:
The University of Wisconsin Arboretum, Society for Ecological
Restoration: 227-236. [14698]
13. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation
of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York:
American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384]
14. Kuenstler, William F.; Henry, Donald S.; Sanders, Samuel A. 1983. Using
prairie grasses for forage production on mine spoil. In: Kucera, Clair
L., ed. Proceedings, 7th North American prairie conference; 1980 August
4-6; Springfield, MO. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri: 215-218.
[3221]
15. Lyon, L. Jack; Stickney, Peter F. 1976. Early vegetal succession
following large northern Rocky Mountain wildfires. In: Proceedings, Tall
Timbers fire ecology conference and Intermountain Fire Research Council
fire and land management symposium; 1974 October 8-10; Missoula, MT. No.
14. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station: 355-373. [1496]
16. Martin, Robert E.; Miller, Robert L.; Cushwa, Charles T. 1975.
Germination response of legume seeds subjected to moist and dry heat.
Ecology. 56: 1441-1445. [4169]
17. Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant
geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p. [2843]
18. Skousen, J. G.; Call, C. A. 1985. Sod-seeding low maintenance plant
species into coastal bermudagrass sod on lignite overburden in Texas.
In: Williams, Dean; Fisher, Scott E., Jr., co-chairmen. "Bridging the
gap between science, regulation, & the surface mining operation": Proc.,
2nd annualmeeting of the American Society for Surface Mining and
Reclamation; [Date of meeting unknown]; [Place of meeting unknown].
[Place of publication unknown]: [Publisher unknown]: 18-23. On file at:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Fire
Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. [2152]
19. Skousen, J. G.; Call, C. A. 1987. Grass and forb species for
revegetation of mixed soil-lignite overburden in east central Texas.
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. 42(6): 438-442. [10012]
20. Stoddard, Herbert L. 1961. The bobwhite quail: Its propagation,
preservation and increase on Georgia farms. In: The Cooperative Quail
Study Association: May 1, 1931--May 1, 1943. Misc. Publ. No. 1.
Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station: 344-417. [First
published by Georgia State Department of Game and Fish; 1933]. [16310]
21. Stubbendiek, James; Conard, Elverne C. 1989. Common legumes of the Great
Plains: an illustrated guide. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.
330 p. [11049]
22. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. 1982.
National list of scientific plant names. Vol. 1. List of plant names.
SCS-TP-159. Washington, DC. 416 p. [11573]
23. Vogel, Willis G. 1981. A guide for revegetating coal minesoils in the
eastern United States. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-68. Broomall, PA: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest
Experiment Station. 190 p. [15576]
24. Wade, G. L. 1989. Grass competition and establishment of native species
from forest soil seed banks. Landscape and Urban Planning. 17: 135-149.
[6745]
Index
Related categories for Species: Lespedeza cuneata
| Sericea Lespedeza
|
 |
