Astragalus obscurus |
Astragalus succumbens |
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arcane milkvetch |
Columbia milkvetch, crouching milkvetch |
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Habit | Plants perennial, caulescent, strigillose, hairs basifixed. | Plants perennial, caulescent, densely to thinly grayish hirsute, hairs basifixed. |
Stems | several–numerous, decumbent to ascending, 15–40 cm. |
several, decumbent to erect, 2–40(50) 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. |
3–10(11) cm; leaflets (7)9–19, oblong to oblong-ovate, obovate to elliptic, 5–19 × 3–9 mm; tips acute to obtuse or retuse; surfaces abaxially hirsute, adaxially hirsute to glabrescent; stipules (1.5)2.5–8(9) mm; free. |
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 densely 10–25-flowered; peduncles 1.5–5.5 cm; bracts (2.5)4–12 mm; pedicels 0.5–2.3 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. |
spreading-ascending at anthesis; calyces 9.5–13(15) mm; hirsute to hirsutulous with all white or white with some black hairs; tubes 7–8.6 mm; teeth subulate to linear-lanceolate, 2.5–5.5 mm; corollas 14–20(23) mm, bicolored; banners pink to white; wings white; keels pink to purple; tips spotted; ovules 27–38. |
Fruits | bilocular, ascending, lunately linear-lanceolate or -oblong, arcuate to straight, triquetrous, strongly compressed, deeply sulcate dorsally; (20)25–40 × 4–8 mm, glabrous; valves cartilaginous; stipes 0. |
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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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2n | =24. |
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Astragalus obscurus |
Astragalus succumbens |
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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. |
Sandy hills and dunes, roadbanks, sagebrush. Flowering Apr–Jul. 50–900 m. Col. WA. Native. |
Source | Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 670 Richard Halse |
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 674 Richard Halse |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Astragalus miser | |
Web links |