Rosary Babybonnets
Coursetia glandulosa
Family: Fabaceae
Deciduous shrub growing to about 8’x12’ rarely taller in favorable conditions, up to 20’. Pea-like flowers in spring though sometimes they can flush out in other seasons. Legume pods that dehiece readily (spit out their seeds) follow the flowers.
Grow in full to part sun, moderate water, hardy to 20° F.
Photo by richardabbott, iNaturalist
Coursetia caribae on SEINET
Nectar-rich flowers for the pollinators and larval host for the Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis). This plant exudes sticky resinous material that attracts a lot of insects. It may contribute to why the insectivorous, rare Five-striped Sparrow (Amphispizopsis quinquestriata) shows up in the few spots in Arizona where it shows up—all locations of this bird have the presence of this plant.
Resin of plant was used as a gum to seal jars by the Tohono O'odham.
Coursetia is named for George Louis Marie Dumont de Courset (1746-1824), a French botanist, while the species name, glandulosa, refers to the glandular nature of this plant, especially in spring. There are 39 species of Coursetia native to the Southwestern United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America as far south as Brazil and Peru.
Found on wash edges, dry rocky slopes, and canyons, from 2,000-4,000 ft. Ranges from southern Arizona south through Sinaloa and Chihuahua and down the west cost of Mexico as far south as Oaxaca.