Astragalus obscurus |
Astragalus whitneyi |
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arcane milkvetch |
balloon milkvetch, balloonpod 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, 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. |
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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 whitneyi |
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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. |
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 | ||
Subordinate taxa | ||
Synonyms | Astragalus miser | |
Web links |