Slickseed Fuzzy Bean, Slick-Seed Fuzzy-Bean, Slick Side Wild Bean, Slick-Seed Bean, Small-Flowered Wild Bean, Small Wild Bean, Small Fuzzy Bean, Small-Flowered Wooly Bean, Smooth-Seed Wild Bean, Trailing Pea

Strophostyles leiosperma

stro-foh-STY-leez  lay-oh-SPER-muh

Syn. Phaseolus leiospermus

FAZ-ee-oh-lus  lay-oh-SPER-mus

Synonyms of Strophostyles leiosperma (4) (Updated on 8-17-26 from Plants of the World Online): Phaseolus leiospermus Torr. & A.Gray (1838), Phaseolus pauciflorus Benth. (1837) (nom. illeg. homonym. post.), Strophostyles pauciflora S.Watson (1890), Strophostyles pauciflora var. canescens R.W.S.Cocks (1910)

Strophostyles leiosperma (Torr. & A.Gray) Piper is the accepted scientific name for the species. It was named and described as such by Charles Vancouver Piper in Contributions from the United States National Herbarium in 1926. It was first named Phaseolus leiospermus by John Torrey and Asa Gray in Flora of North America in 1838.

Botanists determined the plant belongs to the Strophostyles genus because it has a narrow keel and wings that curve sharply upward like the other two members of the genus. Members of the Phaseolus genus, true wild beans, have distinctly coiled or strongly spiraled keel petals. Also, Strophostyles species usually have seed pods that remain fuzzy while Phaseolus species seed pods normally become smooth with age.

The genus, Strophostyles Elliott, was named and described as such by Stephen Elliott in A Sketch of the Botany of South Carolina and Georgia in 1823.

As of 8-15-26 when this page was first published, Plants of the World Online lists 3 species in the Strophostyles genus. It is a member of the plant family Fabaceae with 806 genera. Those numbers could change when updated are made on POWO.

The above distribution map for Strophostyles leiosperma is from Flora of North America. The maps on Plants of the World Online and the USDA Plant Database are somewhat different. 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 AND TO HELP WITH A POSITIVE ID.

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 6-22-26, 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. I went back to the Friendly and Drover’s Prairies on July 28 and photographed 12 species with 2 being new-to-me. 

While I was at the Friendly Prairie on July 12 in 2026, I happened to notice small flowered bean climbing on a plant. I was familiar with the Strophostyles helvola (Amberique Bean) since it grows in the fencerow at the farm, but this one was different. Very small flowers… I went on to Drover’s Prairie where I found a few more. I took several photos and uploaded one of the best on the drag-and-drop feature (have to be logged in) on iNaturalist. The first suggestion was Strophostyles leiosperma (Slickseed Fuzzybean), so I checked the Missouri Plants website to read about it. Sure enough, iNaturalist was right. Other members agreed and the observation became Research Grade in nothing flat.

I will come back later and write descriptions. I just wanted to get the photos online for now. There are several links at the bottom of the page with a lot of useful information and great descriptions.

 

 

I will continue going back to the three prairies and possibly others to take more photos and see what else 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
iNATURALIST
MISSOURI PLANTS
WILDFLOWER SEARCH
CONSORTIUM OF GREAT PLAINS HERBARIA
DAVE’S GARDEN
GO BOTANY
ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS
KANSAS NATIVE PLANTS
KANSAS WILDFLOWERS AND GRASSES
LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER
MINNESOTA WILDFLOWERS
SEINet

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. 🙂