Kendall County (IL) Forest Preserve District
Scurfy
Pea
(Slimflower Scurfpea)
Psoralidium tenuiflorum (Psoralea tenuiflora)
[C-value
10]
Bean family (Fabaceae)
Blooms June
-
mid-July
The native Scurfy Pea is rare in our area. It prefers full sun and dry soil. Habitats include hill prairies, dry upland prairies and areas along railroads. This perennial is 2-3' tall with alternate compound leaves, either trifoliate (3 leaflets) or palmate (5 leaflets), up to 3" long. The leaflets are up to 1½" long and 1/3" across; narrowly elliptic-shaped and toothless on slender petioles up to 1" long. Narrow racemes of blue-violet flowers occur on the upper stems on up to 4" long peduncles. These racemes are 1½–3" long with 1-4 flowers at intervals along the raceme. The 5-petal pea-like flowers are up to ¼" long.
Scurfy Pea blooms photo by Dr. J. Hilty
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Scurfy Pea at Maramech Forest Preserve June 10, 2013
Scurfy Pea bloom photo by Dr. J. Hilty
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Scurfy Pea at Pickerill/Pigott Forest Preserve pond July 9, 2012
Scurfy Pea leaves photo by Dr. J. Hilty
Scurfy Pea at Pickerill/Pigott Forest Preserve pond June 29, 2013
Scurfy Pea seedpods each containing only a single seed.
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