Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.

You may find it helpful to read The Genus Baptisia in South Carolina by Bill Stringer.

What makes this plant unique is that after death in the fall, the entire plant turns gray to light brown and remains above ground into the winter, becoming a "tumbleweed" at times when the base of the dead stem breaks off. Learn more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.

For an in-depth treatment, peruse A monograph of the genus Baptisia (Larisey, 1940).

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Baptisia cinerea   FAMILY Fabaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Baptisia cinerea

SYNONYMOUS WITH Native & naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the US (Isely, 1998)

Baptisia cinerea

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-09-003:

Baptisia cinerea   FAMILY Fabaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED) A monograph of the genus Baptisia (Larisey, 1940)

Baptisia villosa

SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED) Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Baptisia villosa

COMMON NAME:
Carolina Wild Indigo, Gray-hairy Wild Indigo

         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_bavi7_001_lvd

        

Alan S. Weakley    asw_226143250044934

May    Cumberland County    NC

Carvers Creek State Park

Alan S. Weakley    asw_580284734245619

May    Cumberland County    NC

Carvers Creek State Park

After frost, the plant turns silvery gray, acting like a tumbleweed in winter, per Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011).

Alistair Glen    gwn_baptisiacinerea

May-June?    Pender County    NC

Similar to B. lanceolata, but has more numerous and larger flowers, per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006).

Tim Spira    tps_bcinerea

Month Unknown        

Pubescent perennials with coriaceous trifoliate leaves & obovate leaflets, per Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005).

 COMPARE leaves that are trifoliolate and palmately compound

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Baptisia cinerea   FAMILY Fabaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Baptisia cinerea   FAMILY Fabaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Baptisia cinerea

SYNONYMOUS WITH Native & naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the US (Isely, 1998)
Baptisia cinerea

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-09-003:
Baptisia cinerea   FAMILY Fabaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED) A monograph of the genus Baptisia (Larisey, 1940)
Baptisia villosa

SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED) Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Baptisia villosa