|                    Tropical-puff
                      |  
              
                |                    Neptunia pubescens  
                      |  
              
                |                    Fabaceae 
                      |  
  
              
                 Landscape Uses:
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                 Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations.  Also wildflower and butterfly gardens. | 
               
                Ecological Restoration Notes:  | 
               
              
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                | Availability: | 
               
              
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                 Available at native plant nurseries in central Florida. | 
               
              
                | Description: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Small creeping herb with clusters of yellow flowers. | 
               
              
                | Height: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 About 2-6 inches in height.  Spreading and forming small, open patches. | 
               
              
                | Growth Rate: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Moderate. | 
               
              
                | Range: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Southeastern United States west to Texas and south, mostly along the Florida coasts, to the Monroe County Keys; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America.  Rare in the Monroe County Keys and very rare or absent in the middle Keys. | 
               
              
                | Habitats: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Pinelands, open coastal uplands and disturbed sites. | 
               
              
                | Soils: | 
               
              
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                 Moist, well-drained sandy or limestone soils, without humus. | 
               
              
                | Nutritional Requirements: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils. | 
               
              
                | Salt Water Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water. | 
               
              
                | Salt Wind Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 Secondary line; tolerates significant salt wind without injury, but usually is somewhat protected. | 
               
              
                | Drought Tolerance: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 High; does not require any supplemental water once established. | 
               
              
                | Light Requirements: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Full sun. | 
               
              
                | Flower Color: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Yellow. | 
               
              
                | Flower Characteristics: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Showy globose heads. | 
               
              
                | Flowering Season: | 
               
              
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                 Spring-fall; peak in spring. | 
               
              
                | Fruit: | 
               
              
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                 Brown flattened pod (legume), about 1" long, splitting open when ripe. | 
               
              
                | Wildlife and Ecology: | 
               
              
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                 Larval host plant for ceraunus blue (Hemiargus ceraunus) butterflies. | 
               
                     
                | Horticultural Notes: | 
               
              
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                 Can be grown from seed. | 
               
              
                | Comments: | 
               
              
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                 The leaflets are sensitive, and will close when touched. | 
               
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                    James Johnson, 2014 In habitat, Everglades National Park, Florida
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