Weed Information: Hoffmannseggia glauca (hogpotato)
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Hoffmannseggia glauca (hogpotato)

Family: Fabaceae

Description

The leaves are twice compound with 2-6 pairs and 1 terminal branch. Each branch then has 6-11 pairs of small leaflets. The plants have yellow to red-orange flowers and arise from a creeping root system which produces round, potato-like tubers. This native plant is often found in large patches in alkaline waste areas. Southwestern United States only.

Characteristics

Flower Color
  • Red (or pink)
  • Red-orange
  • Orange
  • Yellow-orange
  • Yellow
  • Multi-colored
Inflorescence Type (How the flowers are arranged on the plant)
  • Terminal raceme
Number of Petals
  • 5 petals
Petal Separation
  • Completely free to base
  • United > 75% of length
Petal Tip
  • Rounded
Flower Symmetry
  • Flowers slightly irregular
Flower Length (Head length in the Asteraceae)
  • 9 mm (.36 inch)
  • 1.0 cm (.40 inch)
  • 1.5 cm (.6 inch)
Flower Width (Head width in the Asteraceae)
  • 7 mm (.28 inch)
  • 8 mm (.32 inch)
  • 9 mm (.36 inch)
  • 1.0 cm (.40 inch)
  • 1.5 cm (.60 inch)
Number of Sepals
  • 5 sepals
Sepal Separation
  • United at base < 25% length
Sepal Tip
  • Pointed
Flower Sex
  • Bisexual (perfect)
Number of Styles
  • 1 style
Number of Stamens
  • 10 stamens
Stamens Attached to the Petals
  • Stamens NOT attached to the petals
Stamens Connate (united)
  • Filaments or anthers NOT united

Carpel Separation
  • Carpels united (or one)
Number of Carpels
  • 1 carpel
Ovary Position
  • Superior (hypogynous)
Fruit Type
  • Capsule, 1-celled
  • Legume
Fruit Length at Maturity
  • 2.0 cm (.80 inch)
  • 2.5 cm (1.0 inch)
  • 3.0 cm (1.2 inches)
  • 3.5 cm (1.4 inches)
  • 4.0 cm (1.6 inches)
Fruit Width at Maturity
  • 3 mm (.12 inch)
  • 4 mm (.16 inch)
  • 5 mm (.20 inch)
  • 6 mm (.24 inch)
  • 7 mm (.28 inch)
  • 8 mm (.32 inch)
  • 9 mm (.36 inch)
  • 1.0 cm (.40 inch)
Burs
  • Fruit or seed NOT bur-like

Leaf Arrangement
  • Alternate
Leaf Type
  • Compound even pinnate < 9 leaflets
  • Compound even pinnate > 9 leaflets
  • Bipinnately compound
Stipules
  • Foliaceous < 2 mm (< .08 inch) long
  • Foliaceous 2-4 mm (.08 - .16 in) long
Tendrils
  • Tendrils absent
Venation
  • Pinnate
Petiole (leaf stem) Blade Ratio
  • Petiole 25% - 75% total length
Leaf Length (blade PLUS petiole)
  • 2 - 4 cm (.80 - 1.60 inches)
  • 4 - 10 cm (1.60 - 4.0 inches)
  • 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)
Leaf Width
  • 5 - 10 mm (.20 - .40 inch)
  • 1 - 2 cm (.40 - .80 inch)
  • 2 - 4 cm (.80 - 1.6 inches)
Leaf or Leaflet Margin
  • Entire
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Base
  • Acute (cuneate)
  • Rounded
Leaf or Leaflet Tip
  • Rounded (obtuse)
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Surface
  • Glabrous (NO hairs)
  • Glandular
  • Glaucous
  • Pubescent
  • Punctate
Succulence
  • Not succulent

Milky Juice
  • Juice NOT milky (watery)
Woodiness
  • Herbaceous
  • Semi-woody
Spines or Thorns
  • Spines or Thorns ABSENT
Aromatic (vegetative structures)
  • Not aromatic
  • Aromatic
Life Cycle
  • Perennial
Growth Habit (while flowering)
  • Spreading ascending
  • Erect, columnar (narrow)
Plant Height at Maturity
  • 5 - 10 cm (2.0 - 4.0 inches)
  • 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)
  • 2 - 4 dm (8.0 - 16.0 inches)
  • 4 - 6 dm (1.3 - 2.0 feet)
Wind Dissemination
  • Not wind disseminated
Moisture Regime
  • Mesic
  • Arid
Chlorophyll
  • Present

Stem Cross Section
  • Round
Flowering Stem Leaves
  • Stem leafless
  • Stem uniformly leafy
Main Stem Branches
  • Main stem unbranched
  • Main stem branched

Root or Vegetative Propagule
  • Tuberous

US State
  • Kansas
  • Texas
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • New Mexico
  • Nevada
  • Oklahoma

  • An Illustrated Guide To Arizona Weeds, 1972 (ISBN 0-8165-0288-9) 338 pages. See page: 170
  • Field Guide To The Common Weeds Of Kansas, 1983 (ISBN 0-7006-0233-X) See page: 56
  • S.W.S.S. Weed ID Guide, 1993 Section Number and Five letter code: 8 HOFDE
  • Weed Seeds of the Great Plains, 1993 University of Kansas# 92-125-B ISBN# 0-7006-0651-3 See index #: 89
  • Weeds of California, 1970, State of California Publications and Documents. See page: 258, 260
  • Weeds of Colorado, 1990 Cooperative Extension, Colorado State Univ. Bulletin 521A, See page: 92
  • Weeds of the South, University of Georgia 2009, ISBN#0-8203-3046-9 See page: 140
  • Weeds of the West, 1992 (ISBN 0941570-13-4) See page: 330
  • Weeds of the West, 2000 (ISBN 0941570-13-4) See page: 328
  • Listed in the WSSA Composite List of Weeds X
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