Chamaecrista fasciculata (Partridge pea)

This annual plant is native to North America. It prefers open woods, praries, meadows, and plains. It colonizes disturbed areas quickly, and thrives on poor soils.

Plants: Up to 2½′ (80 cm) in size. Stems are light green, becoming reddish brown over time.

Leaves: Alternate, pinnate-compound leaves. Each leaf hs 8-18 pairs of narrow leaflets that are linear or oblong and up to ⅝″ (1.7 cm) long. Leaves often fold together when touched, hence the name “sensitive pea.”

Flowers: Bright yellow flowers are up to 1″ (2.5 cm) across, with five petals that don’t quite match in size and shape. Each flower has 10 reddish stamens, and the base of some petals is bright red. Flowers appear from early summer to until the first frost. The flower’s greenish-yellow anthers produce pollen. It also has purple anthers that produce food pollen

Fruits: Narrow, flattened, dehiscent seed pods that are 2½ ⨉ ¾″ (6.3 ⨉ 1.9 cm).

Habitats: Open woods, praries, meadows, and plains. It colonizes disturbed areas quickly, and thrives on poor soils.

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin)
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Fabales	Legumes (pea and bean families)
Family	Fabaceae	Legume family (peas and beans)
Genus	Chamaecrista	From Greek chamae, “low growth,” and crista, “crested.”
Species	fasciculata	Derived from a Latin word meaning “bundles” and describing the way the leaves are attached to the leaf stem in little bunches or “fascicles”

About plant names...