Necklace Pod

Sophora tomentosa L.

sa-FOR-a   tom-in-TOE-sa

Synonyms:

Sophora havanensis Jacq.

Sophora occidentalis L. (basionym)

Sophora tomentosa L. subsp. occidentalis (L.) Isely

Sophora tomentosa L. subsp. havanensis (Jacq.) Yakovlev WU2, GRIN)

Fabaceae (Legumes)

Key to Sophora L.

Explanation of name: Sophora is a Arabic word for yellow (AUS).  Tomentosa  means wooly (STE).

Natural range: Coastal habitats of central and south Florida, West Indies, northern South America (ISE)

Recognition: Leggy, somewhat woody shrub.  Leaves pinnate with 11-21 elliptic to obovate shaped leaflets, 1" to 1-1/2" long.  Flowers yellow, numerous, in terminal racemes, papilionaceous, 1" long. Fruit oblong legume 2-1/2" to 6" long (ISE, HOR)

Landscape uses: Seashore planting, borders, massing, specimen (HOR, BR1)

Notes: There are two varieties common to Florida. Sophora tomentosa var. truncata Torr. & A. Gray is native to south Florida and S. tomentosa var. occidentalis (L.) Isley is native to Texas and tropical America. In nature S. tomentosa var. truncata is a small tree with leaflets sparsely pubescent at maturity while  S. tomentosa var. occidentalis is a shrub with leaflets densely pubescent at maturity. (ISE, WU1, and see

http://www.afnn.org/upload/pdf_forms/article5necklacepod.pdf)

In other words, the commonly cultivated fuzzy-leaf Necklace Pod is not strictly native.