Astragalus obscurus |
Astragalus mulfordiae |
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arcane milkvetch |
Mulford's milkvetch |
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Habit | Plants perennial, caulescent, strigillose, hairs basifixed. | Plants perennial, caulescent, strigillose, hairs basifixed. |
Stems | several–numerous, decumbent to ascending, 15–40 cm. |
several–numerous, spreading to ascending, 10–30 cm. |
Leaves | (2.5)4–10(12) cm; leaflets 5–15, oblong-elliptic to lance-oblong or linear-elliptic, 2–15 × 0.5–2.5 mm; tips obtuse to truncate to shallowly retuse or subacute; surfaces abaxially strigillose, adaxially thinly pubescent to glabrous; stipules 1.5–2.5 mm; free. |
(2.5)4.5–10.5 cm; leaflets (7)15–25, linear-oblong, linear-oblanceolate, or filiform; terminal leaflet jointed to or confluent with rachis, 1–11 × 0.5–1.5 mm; tips obtuse or subacute; surfaces abaxially strigillose, adaxially glabrous; stipules 1.5–6 mm; at least lowermost connate-sheathing. |
Inflorescences | racemes compact in early anthesis; soon elongating; (3)6–15-flowered; peduncles 3–15 cm; bracts 0.8–2.5 mm; pedicels 0.5–2.2 mm; bracteoles 0–2. |
racemes, loosely or remotely (5)8–20-flowered; peduncles (0.5)1–7 cm; bracts 0.7–2 mm; pedicels 0.7–2 mm; bracteoles 0–2. |
Flowers | ascending at anthesis; calyces 3–5.5 mm, strigillose with black and white hairs; tubes 2.3–4 mm; teeth triangular to subulate, 0.4–1.6 mm; corollas 7–10.5 mm, ochroleucous or whitish, often tinged with dull purple; ovules 14–23. |
declined at anthesis; calyces 2.5–5 mm, usually white strigillose; tubes 1.5–3 mm; teeth subulate, 0.8–2 mm; corollas 6–8.2 mm, white or whitish; banners sometimes lilac-veined or -tinged; ovules 10–16. |
Fruits | bilocular, pendulous, lunately half-ellipsoid, gently incurved, triquetrously compressed, 9–16 × 3–4.5 mm, finely strigillose; valves papery; stipes 3–5 mm. |
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Fruits ± | bilocular; erect, linear-oblong; straight, obtusely triquetrous, 10–25 × 2.4–4 mm, finely strigillose; valves coriaceous to cartilaginous; stipes 0. |
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Astragalus obscurus |
Astragalus mulfordiae |
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Distribution | ||
Discussion | Sagebrush, ridge tops, talus, hillsides, scabland. Flowering May–Jul. 700–2300 m. BR, BW, ECas, Lava, Owy. CA, ID, NV. Native. Astragalus obscurus is recognizable by its few leaflets, small, dingy flowers ascending in a close raceme, and erect, sessile, linear-oblong, trigonously compressed fruits. It may be confused with the sympatric A. atratus, which is alike in general habit but has pendulous, decurved pods. |
Sagebrush, sandy bluffs. Flowering May–Jun. 600–1300 m. Owy. ID. Native. Connate lower stipules, distant, narrow green leaflets, white or lilac-tinged flowers, and nodding, stipitate, trigonous, and bilocular fruits characterize this species. |
Source | Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 670 Richard Halse |
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 669 Richard Halse |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Astragalus miser | |
Web links |