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arcane milkvetch

balloon milkvetch, balloonpod milkvetch

Habit Plants perennial, caulescent, strigillose, hairs basifixed. Plants perennial, caulescent, strigillose, hairs basifixed.
Stems

several–numerous, decumbent to ascending, 15–40 cm.

several–numerous, decumbent to erect, 2–40 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.

1–10 cm;

leaflets (5)9–21, oblong-oblanceolate, elliptic, or narrowly obovate, 2–21 × 1–5 mm;

tips obtuse to acute;

surfaces abaxially strigillose, adaxially strigose, glabrate, or glabrous;

stipules 1–5 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 3–16-flowered;

peduncles 1–9.5(12) cm;

bracts 1–3 mm;

pedicels 0.5–2.5 mm;

bracteoles usually 0.

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 4–9.3 mm, strigillose with white and black hairs;

tubes 3.5–5.9 mm;

teeth triangular, 0.5–3.6 mm;

corollas 8.3–17.2 mm, ochroleucous; pinkish white; lilac, or pink-purple;

ovules (13)15–30(32).

Fruits

unilocular, pendulous; bladdery inflated, obovoid to ellipsoid, 15–60(75) × (8)10–25(35) mm, usually red- or purple-mottled, glabrous or strigillose;

valves membranous;

stipes 2–9 mm.

Fruits ±

bilocular; erect, linear-oblong; straight, obtusely triquetrous, 10–25 × 2.4–4 mm, finely strigillose;

valves coriaceous to cartilaginous;

stipes 0.

Astragalus obscurus

Astragalus whitneyi

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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.

Western United States. 5 varieties; 3 varieties treated in Flora.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 670
Richard Halse
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 677
Richard Halse
Sibling taxa
A. accidens, A. agrestis, A. alpinus, A. alvordensis, A. applegatei, A. arthuri, A. atratus, A. australis, A. beckwithii, A. californicus, A. calycosus, A. canadensis, A. caricinus, A. collinus, A. conjunctus, A. curvicarpus, A. cusickii, A. diaphanus, A. drummondii, A. eremiticus, A. filipes, A. gambellianus, A. geyeri, A. hoodianus, A. howellii, A. inflexus, A. iodanthus, A. kentrophyta, A. lemmonii, A. lentiginosus, A. malacus, A. misellus, A. mulfordiae, A. multiflorus, A. newberryi, A. nudisiliquus, A. peckii, A. platytropis, A. purshii, A. reventus, A. robbinsii, A. salmonis, A. sclerocarpus, A. sheldonii, A. solitarius, A. spaldingii, A. sterilis, A. succumbens, A. tegetarioides, A. tetrapterus, A. toanus, A. tweedyi, A. tyghensis, A. umbraticus, A. vallaris, A. whitneyi
A. accidens, A. agrestis, A. alpinus, A. alvordensis, A. applegatei, A. arthuri, A. atratus, A. australis, A. beckwithii, A. californicus, A. calycosus, A. canadensis, A. caricinus, A. collinus, A. conjunctus, A. curvicarpus, A. cusickii, A. diaphanus, A. drummondii, A. eremiticus, A. filipes, A. gambellianus, A. geyeri, A. hoodianus, A. howellii, A. inflexus, A. iodanthus, A. kentrophyta, A. lemmonii, A. lentiginosus, A. malacus, A. misellus, A. mulfordiae, A. multiflorus, A. newberryi, A. nudisiliquus, A. obscurus, A. peckii, A. platytropis, A. purshii, A. reventus, A. robbinsii, A. salmonis, A. sclerocarpus, A. sheldonii, A. solitarius, A. spaldingii, A. sterilis, A. succumbens, A. tegetarioides, A. tetrapterus, A. toanus, A. tweedyi, A. tyghensis, A. umbraticus, A. vallaris
Subordinate taxa
A. whitneyi var. confusus, A. whitneyi var. siskiyouensis, A. whitneyi var. sonneanus
Synonyms Astragalus miser
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