Kendall County (IL) Forest Preserve District
Illinois Sensitive Plant
(Illinois Bundleflower)
Desmanthus illinoensis [C-value 3]
Bean
family (Fabaceae)
Blooms
mid-July - August
The native Illinois Sensitive Plant is uncommon in our area. It prefers full to partial sun and moist to slightly dry conditions. This beautiful perennial is about 3-5' tall, unbranched or sparingly so, with a light green, grooved, central stem. The alternate compound leaves are bipinnate and up to 8" long with a fern-like appearance. Each compound leaf has 8-12 pairs of even-pinnate leaflets consists of 20-40 pairs of closely spaced, lance-shaped subleaflets. Small white flowers occur individually from the axils of the upper leaves on slender peduncles up to 3" long. Each flower is up to ½" across and consists of a dense head of 25-50 florets in a starburst pattern. Afterwards, clusters of 5-15 spiraling seedpods develop that become dark brown at maturity.
Illinois Sensitive Plant at Blackberry Trail Forest Preserve August 23, 2014
Illinois Sensitive Plant at Blackberry Trail Forest Preserve August 23, 2014
Illinois Sensitive Plant at Blackberry Trail Forest Preserve August 23, 2014
When touched or shaken, the compound leaves fold inward and droop defending themselves from harm, and re-open a few minutes later; hence the common name.
Illinois Sensitive Plant at Blackberry Trail Forest Preserve August 23, 2014 (immature seedpod)
Illinois Sensitive Plant at Blackberry Trail Forest Preserve October 29, 2014 (fall seed pods)
Illinois Sensitive Plant at Blackberry Trail Forest Preserve October 29, 2014 (seedpods releasing their seeds)
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