Illinois Bundleflower is an upright, deep rooted, warm season perennial, legume. This native legume is found throughout the plains and prairies of the United States. Bundleflower is both winter hardy and drought resistant and will grow on a wide range of soil types, from clays to sandy loams. Even though adapted to several soil types and climate conditions, it is usually more abundant in the more moist areas of the terrain such as depressions and slopes. Natural populations of Illinois bundleflower are distributed from North Dakota and Minnesota in the north to New Mexico and Colorado in the west and from Texas to Florida in the south. Bundleflower grows from 2 to 4 feet in height with 20 to 30 seed pods curving to form a bundle or cluster. The small brown bundles of seed pods make it easy to identify. Flowers are round, puffy and white. The leaves are dark green. Illinois Bundleflower is used as a nutritious plant in livestock pastures. All livestock find it palatable so it should be managed to avoid overgrazing. Bundleflower is best suited to areas receiving 15 inches or more of annual rainfall. Planting rate for Bundleflower is 13 pure live seed pounds per acre, at a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch in a firm seedbed. Once established, Bundleflower requires very little attention. Illinois bundleflower is rated by some authorities as our most important native legume and is included in range revegetation programs since the species is readily eaten by livestock. The lenticular seeds contain 38% protein on a dry weight basis, which compares favorably with soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. As part of a perennial mixed cropping system incorporating warm-season and cool-season grasses, Illinois bundleflower provides a harvest of nutritious seed and enhance soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation. The percentage of nitrogen derived from symbiosis in perennial native legume species is likely to be greater than that of annual grain legumes, as the nodules are perennial and fixation may begin earlier than in annuals. This nitrogen transfer from legume components could be a significant factor in maintaining soil fertility of perennial polycultures. Successful development of Illinois bundleflower as a perennial grain legume will require simultaneous progress in identifying uses for Illinois bundleflower seed appropriate for its nutritional value and selecting agronomically acceptable varieties. Perennial seed crops will most likely be used on land prone to soil erosion where annual plowing is undesirable. Use of Illinois bundleflower's nitrogen fixation potential could reduce nitrogen fertilizer needs in perennial agroecosystems. Some breeding priorities are focused on selection for harvestability, including resistance to seed shattering and selection for stable high seed yields over multiple years. Preliminary data on nutritional value, nitrogen fixation, seed yield, and genetic variability in germplasm accessions suggest Illinois bundleflower has promise as a perennial grain legume in addition to a forage for domestic livestock and wildlife. IMAGES Seeds Leaves  Plants
Back to Forage Contents

   

 

Previous Page