What's this one? solved: Sesbania vesicaria Bagpod

[Tom]

It was a tall weed about 4 feet tall that looked like a small tree with flowers.

Tell us something interesting about it.

[Bro. Noble]

We don't have anything like that around here.  First I thought it was a fern,  but ferns don't have flowers.  Then I decided it was a legume.  We have little legumes that look a little like that but they only get a few inches tall.  If you toutch them in the midribm  they fold up.  I think they call them bashful bush because of that trait.  Do these plants do that?

[Tom]

yep, they close up at night but don't to the touch.  Maybe when they are re-e-a-l small.

[Bro. Noble]

Maybe somekinda pea or vetch----------they,re legumes.

[Tom]

You're Warm

[LeeB]

some type of acacia maybe?

[Tom]

nope, not an acacia

[Stephen_Wiley]

Hogpotato - Hoffmanseggia densiflora  .........Flowers appear like however,  height may be..............

Goatsrue................... Flower don't look right........??

[Tom]

As best as I can find, it is a Tephrosia of some sort.  I found Goats Rue to have the closest image of the plant but these are tall.  They regularly come up in disturbed ground and around trash fire sites.  Tephrosia Florida and T. Virgiana are nearest matches that I can find.   I'm still looking.

[Stephen_Wiley]

Goats Rue can grow to 5 feet.............these are taller?

[Tom]

This one was not that tall but I have had them in my log yard that were 5 or 6 feet tall.

[Tom]

By the way, Welcome to the Forum.  I'm sure remiss for letting it go this long.  You're pretty hot on this ID thing, eh?  Doin' good!  

Look forward to your hanging around and gettin ivolved.

[Stephen_Wiley]

All though a smaller plant, the one at this site seems to match............still the flowers in you pic.  seem more yellow!

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/images/TephrVi.htm

My vote is still for:  Tephrosia / Goatsrue.

I have been reading your forum for sometime now, decided to join the fun.

[Tom]

Yeah Stephen, I've about come to the conclusion that it is Goats Rue too.  I think that is what we will declare it.

[Tom]

We have a new answer to the question.   Swamp Donkey came up with this identification that better fits the plant.  It was researched in the thread "Whatzits from the secret pond" when Jeff came to Florida.  The consensus is that Swamp Donkey is right-on with his identification of Sesbania vesicaria Bagpod.

Information shows that the green plant is un-palatable to ruminates (cows and goats), but, the seeds of the dried plant are poison and will kill cattle.  It is easily controlled with mowing  and suffers from competition.

[WDH]

I agree.  Good job Swamp D.  There is another species, S.punicea, rattlebox, that has red flowers.