Hoita is a small genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, order Fabales, endemic almost entirely to California. The genus contains three accepted species — Hoita macrostachya, Hoita orbicularis, and Hoita strobilina — collectively known by the common names scurfpeas or leather-roots.
Plants in this genus are herbaceous perennials bearing showy purple or fuchsia flowers arranged in large, dense inflorescences that are strikingly similar to those of kudzu (Pueraria). Like other members of the legume family, Hoita species fix atmospheric nitrogen through root symbioses.
Hoita is closely allied to the psoraleas (genus Psoralea sensu lato), and several of its species were formerly placed in that genus. The genus was segregated from Psoralea and its circumscription has been revised; Hoita hallii and Hoita rigida are now treated as synonyms of Rupertia hallii and Rupertia rigida respectively under current taxonomy, leaving three accepted native species in California.
Etymology
The name Hoita is the common name used by certain Indigenous peoples of California for these plants, which were also known as "leather-roots" and "scurfpeas."
Distribution
Hoita species are found almost exclusively in California, where three native species are recognized: H. macrostachya, H. orbicularis, and H. strobilina. The genus is considered a California endemic and is tracked by the Jepson eFlora (Vascular Plants of California) and CalFlora as native species with no naturalized range outside the state.
Taxonomy Notes
Hoita was segregated from the broader genus Psoralea, and several species previously assigned to Hoita have since been moved to the related genus Rupertia (H. hallii → Rupertia hallii; H. rigida → Rupertia rigida). The genus sits within the tribe Psoraleeae of Fabaceae. GBIF places it in order Fabales, family Fabaceae; the Jepson eFlora and CalFlora recognize three accepted native species.
