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].

Related categories for Species: Lespedeza cuneata | Sericea Lespedeza