Astragalus atratus var. mensanus |
Astragalus atratus var. atratus |
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Darwin Mesa milk vetch, Darwin milkvetch, mourning milkvetch |
mourning milkvetch |
|
Stems | 10–24(–30) cm. |
3–17(–25) cm. |
Leaves | (3.5–)5–13.5 cm; stipules 2.5–5 mm; leaflets (7 or)9–15, blades oblong-oblanceolate or oblong-elliptic to oval, 3–16 mm, apex obtuse or retuse, surfaces glabrous or pubescent adaxially; terminal leaflet jointed to rachis. |
(1.5–)3–11.5(–14.5) cm; stipules 1.5–4 mm; leaflets (7 or)9–13(or 15), blades linear-setaceous or oval-oblong, 2.5–14 mm, apex obtuse or subacute, surfaces glabrous or pubescent adaxially; terminal leaflet jointed to rachis. |
Racemes | (5–)7–18-flowered; axis (3–)4–10.5 cm in fruit. |
(4–)6–15-flowered; axis (1.5–)3–14 cm in fruit. |
Peduncles | (3–)4.5–13 cm. |
(3.5–)5–16.5 cm. |
Flowers | 9.8–13.4 mm; calyx 5–7.6 mm, tube 4.5–5.6 mm, lobes 0.8–2.6 mm; corolla broadly margined or tipped with purple. |
(8–)9–12.2 mm; calyx (4.9–)5.2–7.2 mm, tube (3.4–)3.6–4.6 mm, lobes 1.3–2(–2.6) mm; corolla sometimes dirty white, veined or suffused with purple. |
Legumes | laterally compressed, 16–22 × 3.5–4.3 mm, bilocular; septum 1–2.7 mm wide; stipe 0–0.7 mm. |
± dorsiventrally compressed, 10–22 × 2.3–4 mm, sub-bilocular, leathery; septum 0.6–1.3 mm wide; stipe 0.5–2 mm. |
Seeds | 18–29. |
17–24. |
Astragalus atratus var. mensanus |
Astragalus atratus var. atratus |
|
Phenology | Flowering late Apr–Jun. | Flowering May–Jul. |
Habitat | Volcanic clay and gravel, with pinyon and sagebrush, often sheltered by sagebrush or Salvia dorrii. | Gravelly clay basaltic or granitic substrates, openings in pinyon-juniper woodlands, with sagebrush. |
Elevation | 1400–2700 m. (4600–8900 ft.) | 1400–2800 m. (4600–9200 ft.) |
Distribution |
CA |
NV |
Discussion | R. C. Barneby (1964) noted that it would be impossible to distinguish specimens of var. mensanus and var. atratus that do not have fruit or locality data. The few specimens of var. mensanus apparently come from two local populations approximately 50 km apart in Death Valley in Inyo County (D. Isely 1998). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Variety atratus is known from the valleys of the Humboldt and Reese rivers, Elko to Pershing counties southward to northern Churchill and northern Nye counties, and on limestone in the White Pine Mountains of White Pine County. Variety atratus is transitional to var. owyheensis. R. C. Barneby (1964) called attention to the peculiar architecture of the corolla. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 11. | FNA vol. 11. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | A. mensanus | |
Name authority | M. E. Jones: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 2, 5: 665. (1895) | unknown |
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