BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Lespedeza bicolor | Bicolor Lespedeza 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Bicolor lespedeza is an introduced, large, leguminous, deciduous shrub
ranging in height from 4 to 10 feet (1.2-3 m) [2,14].  It has an upright
spreading stem with many slender branches [2,27].  The leaves are
rounded 0.79 to 2 inches (2-5 cm) long [2].  Bicolor lespedeza has no
taproot but does have a much branched, well-nodulated, lateral root
system [7].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Phanerophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Sexual reproduction:  Bicolor lespedeza is easily propogated by seed.
The flowers are self-pollinated or cross-pollinated by honeybees,
bumblebees, and other insects [29].  The fruit is a one-seeded,
indehiscent pod [13].  Seeds are stored in the seed bank or ingested by
birds and dispersed in their droppings [7,15].  Invitro bicolor
lespedeza seeds immersed in water for 16 hours at room temperature
required at least 3 days to germinate.  Germination was 10 percent after
3 days and 30 percent after 7 days [6].  Germination is enhanced by
scarification [9,29].  Seeds may remain viable for up to 20 years if
stored at 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 deg C) and 40 percent relative
humidity [29].

Vegetative reproduction:  Bicolor lespedeza will sprout from the root
crown after top-kill [23,25].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Bicolor lespedeza is found in fields, open woodlands, clearings, fence
and hedge rows, and along roadsides [13].  It occurs at elevations from
sea level to 2,500 feet (762 m) [30].  It is capable of maintaining
itself on acidic (lower pH limit 4.5) nutrient-poor soils [17,30].  It
is not frost tolerant and is often killed to the ground where the date
of the first killing frost is September 30 or earlier [7].  Bicolor
lespedeza is somewhat shade tolerant [14].


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Bicolor lespedeza is a colonizer of early- to mid-seral grassland and
some open forest communities after disturbance.  It is most abundant in
communities that are frequently disturbed and may become the dominant
species in these areas [26].  Bicolor lespedeza abundance will gradually
decrease in the absence of disturbance.  Bicolor lespedeza densities
generally remain high in areas with a disturbance regime of 4 years
[5,26].


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Bicolor lespedeza generally flowers in July and August, but flowering
begins as early as June in Mississippi and as late as September in
Maryland [29].  The fruit ripens in late September to late October
[7,29].  The pods fall to the ground when ripe and most of them are down
by early winter [29].

Related categories for Species: Lespedeza bicolor | Bicolor Lespedeza