Sphaerophysa salsula

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Fabales

Familia: Fabaceae
Subfamilia: Faboideae
Tribus: Galegeae
Genus: Sphaerophysa
Species: Sphaerophysa salsula
Name

Sphaerophysa salsula (Pall.) DC., Prodr. 2: 271 (1825).
Synonyms

Basionym
Phaca salsula Pall., Reise Russ. Reich. 3: 747 (1776).

Homotypic
Colutea salsula (Pall.) Poir. in J.B.A.M.de Lamarck, Encycl., Suppl. 1: 562 (1811).
Swainsona salsula (Pall.) Taub. in H.G.A.Engler & K.A.E.Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 3(3): 281 (1894).
Heterotypic
Astragalus iochrous Barneby, Leafl. W. Bot. 4: 55 (1944).
Astragalus violaceus R.P.St.John, Res. Stud. State Coll. Wash. 1: 98 (1929).
Colutea caspica M.Bieb., Fl. Taur.-Caucas. 2: 169 (1808).
Sphaerophysa caspica (M.Bieb.) DC., Prodr. 2: 271 (1825).
Colutea davurica Spreng., Syst. Veg. 3: 242 (1826).

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Europe
Regional: Eastern Europe
Central European Russia (introduced), South European Russia (doubtful.
Continental: Asia-Temperate
Regional: Siberia
Altay, Chita, Tuva.
Regional: Middle Asia
Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Turkmenistan, Tadzhikistan, Uzbekistan.
Regional: Caucasus
North Caucasus, Transcaucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan).
Regional: Western Asia
Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq (introduced).
Regional: China
Inner Mongolia (Nei Mongol, Ningxia), Manchuria (Jilin, Liaoning), China North-Central (Gansu, Hebei, Shaanxi, Shanxi), Qinghai, Xinjiang
Regional: Mongolia
Mongolia.
Continental: Northern America (all introduced)
Regional: Western Canada
Saskatchewan.
Regional: Northwestern U.S.A.
Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming.
Regional: North-Central U.S.A.
Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin.
Regional: Southwestern U.S.A.
Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah.
Regional: South-Central U.S.A.
New Mexico, Texas.
Continental: Southern America
Regional: Southern South America
Argentina Northwest (introduced).

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

De Candolle, A.P. 1825. Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis, sive enumeratio contracta ordinum, generum, specierumque plantarum huc usque cognitarum, juxta methodi naturalis normas digesta. Pars 2: Sistens Calyciflorarum ordines X. 644 pp. Treuttel et Würtz, Parisiis [Paris]. BHL Reference page.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Sphaerophysa salsula in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 Dec 21. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2020. Sphaerophysa salsula. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2020. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 Dec 21. Reference page.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Sphaerophysa salsula in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 07-Oct-06.

Vernacular names
English: alkali swainsonpea

Sphaerophysa salsula is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common names alkali swainsonpea,[1] Austrian peaweed, and red bladder-vetch. It is native to Asia but it is known in many other parts of the world as an introduced species and often a noxious weed. It grows in cultivated land and disturbed habitat, easily tolerating alkaline substrates. It is commonly seen in areas where alfalfa is grown, because the seeds of the two species look similar and the weed seed is easily imported with the crop seed.[2]

This is a long-lived perennial herb growing up to 1.5 meters tall. It reproduces via seed as well as by sprouting vigorously from its creeping root system. The stems are coated in short white hairs. The leaves are made up of many oval leaflets each up to two centimeters long. The inflorescence is a raceme of several pea-like flowers each just over a centimeter wide. They may be brick-red to deep pink to brownish or red-orange in color. The fruit is a legume pod up to 3.5 centimeters long. It is inflated and bladderlike, hairless, translucent, shiny, and papery when dry. It is mottled greenish or reddish. It contains several seeds each about two millimeters long.

Like other legumes, this plant contains endophytes. These include the bacterium Paracoccus sphaerophysae, which was recently isolated from the roots of this species, and named for it.[3] Other rhizobia in this species include Shinella kummerowiae and species of the genera Rhizobium, Agrobacterium, and Mesorhizobium.[4]
References

USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Sphaerophysa salsula". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
CDFA EncycloWeedia
Deng, Z., et al. (2010). Paracoccus sphaerophysae sp. nov., a siderophore-producing, endophytic bacterium isolated from root nodules of a Sphaerophysa salsula growing in northwestern China. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol.
Xu, L., et al. (2008). Genetic diversity in rhizobia isolated from Sphaerophysa salsula in several regions of northwestern China. Acta Entomologica Sinica 51:5 1017-98.