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Useful Temperate Plants

Thermopsis montana

Torr. & A.Gray

Fabaceae

+ Synonyms

Thermopsis angustata Greene

Thermopsis fabacea montana (Torr. & A.Gray) A.Gray

Thermopsis pauciflora Larisey

Thermopsis rhombifolia montana (Torr. & A.Gray) Isely

Thermopsis stricta Greene

Common Name:

No Image.

General Information

Thermopsis montana is an erect, herbaceous perennial plant growing from a woody rootstock or rhizomes. It produces one to several moderately or few branched stems 20 - 80cm tall, occasionally to 100cm[
954
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 81
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
0026-6493
Description
A botanical journal with various articles, including a revision of the genus Petrea. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It is sometimes used in local soil stabilization projects. It is grown as an ornamental in gardens, valued especially for its attractive foliage and lupin-like spires of yellow flowers[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
This species may become weedy or invasive in some regions or habitats outside its native range, and may displace native vegetation if not properly managed[
277
Title
Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].

Known Hazards

The plant contains alkaloids which are especially toxic in young plants and in mature flowering plants. Children suffered digestive tract problems, weakness and neurological effects after eating a few seeds or flowers[
277
Title
Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
All parts of the plant are toxic. Ingesting 0.6 to 2.8g of dry foliage per kg of body weight for several days produces severe muscle degeneration in cattle. Ingesting 300 - 400g of dried plant material for 3 - 4 days will severely intoxicate cattle and slightly more can be lethal[
277
Title
Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].

Botanical References

954
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 81
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
0026-6493
Description
A botanical journal with various articles, including a revision of the genus Petrea. It can be downloaded from the Internet.

Range

Western N. America - Washington to Montana, south to Arizona and New Mexico

Habitat

Moist sites in meadows or along streams seeps and springs; at elevations from 760 - 3,500 metres[
277
Title
Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitPerennial
Height0.60 m
PollinatorsBees
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Thermopsis montana is a very cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -30°c when fully dormant[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Grows best in a sunny position, preferring a moist, well-drained, sandy to loam soil[
277
Title
Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
]. Prefers a pH in the range 6.6 - 8.5[
277
Title
Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
Plants can spread fairly rapidly by means of rhizomes, and can out-compete less vigorous plants[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[
755
Title
Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A decoction of the plant is used as a cough medicine[
277
Title
Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].

The plant is burned, and the smoke inhaled, as a treatment for headaches[
277
Title
Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is used within its native range for soil and slope stabilization on roadside plantings[
277
Title
Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
]. Thermopsis species in general have potential in soil conservation and stabilization projects. They fix atmospheric nitrogen, are drought-tolerant, deep rooting, and spread by underground root systems to form broad patches[
1309
Title
The Leguminosae; A Source Book of Characteristics, Uses and Nodulation
Publication
 
Author
Allen O.N.; Allen E.K.
Publisher
University of Wisconsin
Year
1981
ISBN
0-333-32221-5
Description
An amazing and comprehensive work, giving a brief guide to the many genera of the family Fabaceae and also the principle uses of the genus.
].
The flowers are especially attractive to bumblebees[
277
Title
Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination[
277
Title
Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
]. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing.
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Thermopsis+montana>

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