| Orbexilum onobrychis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Orbexilum |
| Species: | O. onobrychis |
| Binomial name | |
| Orbexilum onobrychis | |
| Synonyms | |
Psoralea onobrychis | |
Orbexilum onobrychis, commonly called French-grass [2] or lanceleaf scurfpea, [3] is a species of flowering plant in the legume family (Fabaceae). It is native to the eastern United States where its range is concentrated in the Midwest and Upper South. [4] Its natural habitat is primarily prairies and riverbanks, typically in mesic or wet areas. [3] [5] It is an uncommon species, and can be found in high-quality prairie remnants as well as more disturbed areas. [5] [6]
It is a rhizomatous perennial that forms large colonies. It has pinnately trifoliate leaves, with large lanceolate leaflets. [6] Its flowers are pale blue or purple, and produced in racemes. Bloom time is from late spring to early summer. [5] Its fruits are beans, which are 6–8 mm long and distinctively warty.
The caterpillars of the rare moth Hystrichophora loricana are known to use Orbexilum onobrychis as their exclusive foodplant. [7]
