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Alysicarpus vaginalis

(L.) DC. (1825)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Genus: Alysicarpus

alyce clover

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Erect or spreading to prostrate perennial herbs.

Stems: Stems 10–60 cm long.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Leaflets broadly to narrowly oblong–elliptic, sometimes a few of them lanceolate, gradually more bract-like toward apex of branches. Leaflets 1–6.5 cm long, 0.3–2(–2.6) cm wide. Surfaces glabrous. Margins entire. Petioles channeled and narrowly winged. Stipules present, papery, persistent. Leaflets stipellate.

Flowers: Flowers in leaf-opposed inflorescences up to 10 cm long. Flowers papilionaceous, subsessile. Calyx papery, tubular, 5-lobed with the upper 2–lobes nearly completely connate. Calyx persistent in fruit, the teeth narrowly deltate, 3–4 mm long. Corolla orange or reddish to purple, ca. 6 mm long, without auricles, wings adhering to keel, keel petals with a membranous appendage on each side. Stamens 10; upper stamen distinct, the other 9 connate into a tube, the distinct parts alternating in length. Ovary superior.

Fruit: Pods 1.2–2.5 cm long; reticulate–veined; breaking into 4–7 articles; with slightly raised borders between the articles; each article 2.5–3 mm long; puberulent with uncinate hairs. Seeds brown to yellowish; ca. 15 mm long.

Ploidy: 2n = 16; 20

Habitat: In dry; disturbed areas such as along roadsides and in vacant lots.

Elevation Range: 20–150 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Potentially Naturalizing

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Notes

  • 20-150 m
  • Description digitized by Joanne
  • Oahu in 1916

Bibliography

Name Published In: Prodr. 2: 353 (1825)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:644 (K, O, M, H? [reported but no spm.]); Oppenheimer 2007:23 (Mo); Faccenda, Arthur, et al. 2025:180 (KEY)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Alysicarpus vaginalis Koko Head Preserved_Specimen Bridwell, J.C. Oahu BISH 1916-10-01
2 Alysicarpus vaginalis Timberlake's garden. 1049 Koko Head Ave Preserved_Specimen Timberlake, P. Oahu BISH 1921-03-01
3 Alysicarpus vaginalis Koko Head Preserved_Specimen Swezey, O.H. Oahu BISH 1929-04-14
4 Alysicarpus vaginalis Koko Head Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 2448 Oahu BISH 1917-04-03
5 Alysicarpus vaginalis Hilo District at Onekahakaha Beach Park Growing amongst mown grass in the open sun at a beach park with heavy foot traffic. Preserved_Specimen Herb 10 cm tall yet mostly prostrate, sheathing stem nodes, lvs alt, inflorescence pink. Naturalized. Murphy, M. 252 Hawaii BISH 2023-07-03
6 Alysicarpus vaginalis Koko Head In thin soil on rocky road. Preserved_Specimen Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1937-02-14
7 Alysicarpus vaginalis Naiwa Growing in waste area. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 20713 Molokai BISH 2007-02-20
8 Alysicarpus vaginalis Makapuu Point Arid Lava Plain. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 214 Oahu BISH 1923-06-25
9 Alysicarpus vaginalis 300 yards from troop pier (main pier) inside Kaneohe Bay at Kaneohe Marine Station They are near a fresh water faucet where boats may be washed off. Preserved_Specimen The plants were seen in a non-fruiting and flowering stage in this area on 9 Nov 1978. Burr, T. Oahu BISH 1979-02-27
10 Alysicarpus vaginalis Pauwalu Occasional in lawns. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 80619 Molokai BISH 2006-08-11
11 Alysicarpus vaginalis Lihue District, Hanamaulu, base of Kalepa Mountain Trail, Buddhist cemetery off of Hulei road Unmaintained cemetery w/ mix of weeds, cultivated and escaping cultivated w/ Draceina reflexa, Plumeria, Codiaeum variegatum, grasses, Waltheria indica, Tridax procumbens, Euphorbia hypericifolia, Indigofera spicata, Alysicarpus vaginalis, Coreopsis lanceolata, Crotalaria s Preserved_Specimen Branches radiating out from a center tap-root and close to ground. Keel dark purple, banner light purple, stamens white. Old flowers drying dark purple. Fruit immature green with persistent brown calyx. Leaves dark green above w/ raised veins and leaf halves folded upward, galucous below. Tangalin, N. 5163 Kauai BISH 2021-04-07
12 Alysicarpus vaginalis Kapiolani Community College, near Kilauea Avenue and 18th Avenue. Leucaena-Cenchrus dominated community, growing in compact soil in full sun. Preserved_Specimen Annual herb, unusually erect, ca. 7-12 cm. tall, ca. 500 plants seen. Ross, M.C. 1897 Oahu BISH 2023-02-23
13 Alysicarpus vaginalis Kala'au Rd. Kuliou'ou valley Weed in lawn Preserved_Specimen Infrequent along road Faccenda, K. 1688 Oahu BISH 2020-11-29
14 Alysicarpus vaginalis Hilo District From greenhouse sowing trays containing shipping container debris, Preserved_Specimen Sprawling vine with ~5 mm. flowers -eel dark purple, banner lavender. Older pods purple, young pods green 2mm wide by 10 mm long. Yanger, C. Hawaii BISH 2020-09-29
15 Alysicarpus vaginalis Ridge above Makapuu head, Waimanalo-Maunalua divide Dry Rocky ridge. Preserved_Specimen Fosberg, F.R. 13173 Oahu BISH 1936-06-14
16 Alysicarpus vaginalis E slope of Head of Kalama Valley, Maunalua Dry slope. Preserved_Specimen Fls. pinkish Fosberg, V.O. 87 Oahu BISH 1937-03-07
17 Alysicarpus vaginalis Mokolii One plant on W side. Preserved_Specimen Starr, F. 5041949 Oahu BISH 2005-04-19
18 Alysicarpus vaginalis Koko Head Dry outer rim. Preserved_Specimen In fruit. Pollock, J.B. 1182 Oahu BISH 1923-07-01
19 Alysicarpus vaginalis Maunalua, Koko Head Dry roadside. Preserved_Specimen Prostrate with erect branches. Fosberg, F.R. 10771 Oahu BISH 1935-01-23
20 Alysicarpus vaginalis Koolau Mts., Waihee, Koolaupoko Preserved_Specimen low, spreading, deep taproot; stems glabrate; leaves puberulous below; flowers magenta to reddish yellow, 5-7 mm long Nagata, K.M. 2486 Oahu BISH 1982-06-27
21 Alysicarpus vaginalis On dry exposed place, crawling on ground. Koko Head, Maunalua Preserved_Specimen Hosaka, E.Y. 1298 Oahu BISH 1936-01-11
22 Alysicarpus vaginalis Koko Head Preserved_Specimen Height 40+/- cm. Brown, F.B.H. Oahu BISH 1924-06-25
23 Alysicarpus vaginalis Wailua Golf Course. Weed in fairway of Fourth hole near water hazard Preserved_Specimen Corolla dark reddish-purple. Flynn, T.W. 1250 Kauai BISH 1985-10-03
24 Alysicarpus vaginalis Princeville Ranch Preserved_Specimen Au, S. Kauai BISH 1959-10-31
25 Alysicarpus vaginalis Koko Hd, hwy W of Hanauma Bay Preserved_Specimen Egler, F.E. 379 Oahu BISH 1937-05-08
26 Alysicarpus vaginalis Koko Head Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 2421 Oahu BISH 1917-02-16
27 Alysicarpus vaginalis One Alii Park. Weed in lawn with Medicago, Indigofera, Oxalis, Axonopus, Calyptocarpus Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 110626 Molokai BISH 2006-11-29
28 Alysicarpus vaginalis N.E. of Koko Crater, Moanalua, prostrate, rocky clay flats Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 10404 Oahu BISH 1930-02-28
29 Alysicarpus vaginalis East Maui, S coast of E Maui, along Kings Highway just west of Ninialii Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 1276 Maui BISH 1982-02-28
30 Alysicarpus vaginalis SE Kuamookane ridge, Koko Head, Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Bruegmann, M.M. 179 Oahu BISH 1985-05-05
31 Alysicarpus vaginalis Koko Head Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 2421 Oahu BISH 1917-02-16
32 Alysicarpus vaginalis Koko Head Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. Oahu BISH 1909-06-11
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