Partridge Pea, Showy Partridge Pea, Prairie Senna, Golden Cassia, Large-Flowered Sensitive Pea, Sensitive Plant, Sleeping Plant, Locust Weed

Chamaecrista fasciculata

kam-ay-KRIS-ta  fas-sik-yoo-LAH-tuh

Synonyms of Chamaecrista fasciculata (50) (Updated on 8-3-26 from Plants of the World Online): Cassia brachiata (Pollard) J.F.Macbr. (1919), Cassia castiglionia Collad. (1816), Cassia chamaecrista L. (1753) (nom. utique rejic.), Cassia chamaecrista var. cinerea Torr. & A.Gray (1845), Cassia chamaecrista var. glandulosa Kuntze (1891), Cassia chamaecrista f. hirsuta Kuntze (1891), Cassia chamaecrista var. nictitans Kuntze (1891), Cassia chamaecrista var. patellaria Kuntze (1891), Cassia chamaecrista f. pubicaulis Kuntze (1891), Cassia chamaecrista var. robusta Pollard (1894), Cassia depressa Pollard (1895), Cassia fasciculata Michx. (1803), Cassia fasciculata var. brachiata (Pollard) Pullen ex Isely (1975), Cassia fasciculata var. depressa (Pollard) J.F.Macbr. (1919), Cassia fasciculata var. ferrisiae (Britton) B.L.Turner (1955), Cassia fasciculata f. jensenii E.J.Palmer & Steyerm. (1935), Cassia fasciculata var. littoralis (Pollard) J.F.Macbr. (1919), Cassia fasciculata var. macrosperma Fernald (1940), Cassia fasciculata f. mutata Fernald (1942), Cassia fasciculata var. puberula (Greene) J.F.Macbr. (1919), Cassia fasciculata var. robusta (Pollard) J.F.Macbr. (1919), Cassia fasciculata var. rostrata (Wooton & Standl.) B.L.Turner (1955), Cassia fasciculata var. tracyi (Pollard) J.F.Macbr. (1919), Cassia fasciculata f. transmutata Fernald (1942), Cassia fisheri Cory (1936), Cassia greenei Standl. (1936), Cassia littoralis (Pollard) Cory (1936), Cassia mississipiensis Pollard (1894), Cassia parvifolia Wender. (1824), Cassia pulchella Salisb. (1796), Cassia rostrata (Wooton & Standl.) Tidestr. (1941) (nom. illeg. homonym. post.), Cassia triflora Jacq. (1804), Cassia venosa Castigl. ex Zuccagni (1806), Chamaecrista bellula Pollard (1902), Chamaecrista brachiata Pollard (1902), Chamaecrista camporum Greene (1903), Chamaecrista chamaecrista (L.) Britton (1917) (not validly publ.), Chamaecrista depressa (Pollard) Greene (1900), Chamaecrista fasciculata var. depressa (Pollard) C.F.Reed (1987), Chamaecrista fasciculata var. macrosperma (Fernald) C.F.Reed (1987), Chamaecrista fasciculata var. robusta (Pollard) Moldenke (1943), Chamaecrista ferrisiae Britton (1930), Chamaecrista littoralis Pollard (1902), Chamaecrista mississippiensis (Pollard) Pollard ex A.Heller (1900), Chamaecrista puberula Greene (1903), Chamaecrista robusta (Pollard) Pollard ex A.Heller (1900), Chamaecrista rostrata Wooton & Standl. (1913), Chamaecrista tracyi Pollard (1902), Grimaldia chamaecrista (L.) Schrank ex Link (1831), Xamacrista triflora Raf. (1838) (nom. illeg. superfl.)

Chamaecrista fasciculata (Michx.) Greene is the accepted scientific name for this species. It was named and described as such by Edward Lee Greene in Pittonia in 1877. It was first named Cassia fasciculata by André Michaux in Flora Boreali-Americana in 1803.

The genus, Chamaecrista (L.) Moench, was named and described as such by Conrad Moench in Methodus Plantas Horti Botanici et Agri Marburgensis in 1794. 

As of 8-2-26 when I was writing this page, Plants of the World Online lists 379 species in the Chamaecrista genus. It is a member of the plant family Fabaceae with 806 genera. Those numbers could change as POWO makes updates.

The above distribution map for Chamaecrista fasciculata is from Plants of the World Online. Areas in green are where the species is native and purple where it has been introduced. The map on the USDA Plants Database for North America is similar. No map is perfect, but they do give a general idea.

The map on iNaturalist shows where members have made observations. Anyone can join and it is a great website to confirm and share your observations. The maps on iNaturalist are continually updated as members post new observations. I post all my observations on iNaturalist. 

THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING. 

Until May 4 in 2025, I had been identifying wildflowers on the family farm, a friends farm and woods, along back roads and highways, etc. Then, on May 4 in 2025, a friend invited me to visit a private native prairie. It was incredible and I photographed 11 new to me species! We went back again on April 19 in 2026. I took friends on May 3, and there wasn’t much to see then. Then, on June 8 in 2026, he took me to the Lordi Marker Prairie then to Drover’s Prairie where I photographed 19 species, 10 new to me. On June 6, I took my son, and we went to the Friendly Prairie for the first time, then on to the Lordi Marker and Drover’s Prairie. I photographed 22 species at the Friendly Prairie, 6 species at Lordi Marker Prairie, and 17 species at Drover’s Prairie. 11 more new to me. 

While at the Friendly Prairie on June 22, I ran across quite a few of this species with ferny leaves with no flowers. There were more at Drover’s Prairie. Of course, I took a lotto photos and uploaded the best to iNaturalist for an ID. Their firs suggestion was Chamaecrista fasciculata, commonly known as the Partridge Pea. I checked the species out on the Missouri Plants website, and found iNaturalist to be right again.

 

 

 

I needed to get back to the prairies again to see if the Partridge Pea had flowers yet.

Finally, on July 28, I went back to the Friendly Prairie and then to Drover’s and found A LOT. Drover’s Prairie especially had an abundance along the road and fairly close to the entrance. 

I will come back later and write descriptions, but for now I wanted to get the photos online. There are several websites below with more information and very good descriptions.

 

 

 

 

I will continue going back to the three prairies, and maybe others, to take more photos and see what other species I can find…

I live on the family farm in Windsor, Missouri in Pettis County (Henry County is across the street, and Benton and Johnson aren’t far away). I have grown over 500 different plants and identified over 250 species of wildflowers (most have pages listed on the right side of the page). I am not an expert, botanist, or horticulturalist. I just like growing, photographing, and writing about my experience. I rely on several websites for ID and a few horticulturalists I contact if I cannot figure them out. Wildflowers can be variable from location to location, so that can be a bit confusing. If you see I have made an error, please let me know so I can correct what I have written.

I hope you found this page useful and be sure to check the links below for more information. They were written by experts and they have provided much more information. Some sites may not be up-to-date but they are always a work in progress. If you can, I would appreciate it if you would click on the “Like” below and leave a comment. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. I would enjoy hearing from you especially if you notice something is a bit whacky.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
INTERNATIONAL PLANT NAMES INDEX (GENUS/SPECIES)
TROPICOS (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF MISSOURI (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF NORTH AMERICA (GENUS/SPECIES)
WORLD FLORA ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
USDA PLANTS DATABASE
USDA PLANT GUIDE
iNATURALIST
MISSOURI PLANTS
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
WILDFLOWER SEARCH
ARKANSAS NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY
DAVE’S GARDEN
FLORA FINDER
FLORIDA WILDFLOWER FOUNDATION
FLORIDA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY
FRIENDS OF THE WILDFLOWER GARDEN
GO BOTANY
ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS
KANSAS NATIVE PLANTS
KANSAS WILDFLOWERS AND GRASSES
LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER
MINNESOTA WILDFLOWERS
NATIVE GARDENS OF BLUE HILL
NATIVE PLANT TRUST
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
PFAF (PLANTS FOR A FUTURE)
SEINet
U.S. WILDFLOWERS

NOTE: The data (figures, maps, accepted names, etc.) may not match on these websites. It depends on when and how they make updates and when their sources make updates. Some websites have hundreds and even many thousands of species to keep up with. Accepted scientific names change periodically and it can be hard to keep with as well. Some of the links may use a name that is a synonym on other sites. In my opinion, Plants of the World Online by Kew is one of the most reliable and up-to-date plant databases and they make updates regularly. I make updates “at least” once a year and when I write new pages or add new photos but I do get behind. We are all a work in progress. 🙂