Macroptilium lathyroides
Common Name(s): phasey bean
Non-Native to Florida
This species appears on the following legally prohibited plant lists
CATEGORY II on the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council’s (FLEPPC) 2017 List of Invasive Plant Species
Macroptilium lathyroides is native to tropical America and is a member of the Fabaceae family. Plants form dense monocultures and grow erect to a height of approximately 0.5 meters. The leaves are compound with three leaflets per leaf, and red to purple flowers develop on long stalks. The flower petals are uneven with the wing petals being larger than the lower petals. Fruits develop as paired long pods that split open when mature; they contain numerous wind-dispersed seeds.
Macroptilium lathyroides has spread throughout Florida and has become increasingly abundant in the Florida Keys, particularly along the U.S. 1 corridor. However, M. lathyroides has also been observed forming dense monocultures in tidal marsh, beach dune, coastal berm and ruderal areas in the Florida Keys.
Text by Janice Duquesnel (Janice.Duquesnel@dep.state.fl.us).Photo by Patricia Howell (phowell@broward.org).
Citation
From New Species for the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council’s 2013 List of Invasive Plant Species, Wildland Weeds, Spring 2014, Supplement 1—Online Only—www.fleppc.org