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Photo is of parent taxon

Darwin Mesa milk vetch, Darwin milkvetch, mourning milkvetch

Photo is of parent taxon

camas milkvetch, fairfield milkvetch

Stems

10–24(–30) cm.

3–20 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.

3–13 cm;

stipules 2.5–5 mm;

leaflets 9–15, blades narrowly oblong-oblanceolate to linear-oblong or oval, 3–13 mm, apex obtuse or emarginate, surfaces glabrous adaxially;

terminal leaflet jointed to rachis.

Racemes

(5–)7–18-flowered;

axis (3–)4–10.5 cm in fruit.

5–15-flowered;

axis 3–13 cm in fruit.

Peduncles

(3–)4.5–13 cm.

5–15 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.

8–11.3 mm;

calyx 4.7–6.4 mm, tube 3.3–4.2 mm, lobes 1.5–2.2 mm;

corolla banner and keel tip tinged 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, 12–18 × 3–4.2 mm, unilocular, leathery;

septum obsolete;

stipe 0.3–1.1 mm.

Seeds

18–29.

(14–)16–21.

Astragalus atratus var. mensanus

Astragalus atratus var. inseptus

Phenology Flowering late Apr–Jun. Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Volcanic clay and gravel, with pinyon and sagebrush, often sheltered by sagebrush or Salvia dorrii. Stony flats, stiff soils moist in spring.
Elevation 1400–2700 m. (4600–8900 ft.) ca. 1500 m. (ca. 4900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID
[BONAP county map]
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.)

D. Isely (1998) placed var. inseptus in synonymy with var. owyheensis, noting the alleged differences to be hazy. Variety inseptus is known only from the northern edge of the Snake River Plains in northern Blaine, southern Camas, northern Lincoln, and Twin Falls counties in south-central Idaho.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Astragalus > sect. Atrati > Astragalus atratus Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Astragalus > sect. Atrati > Astragalus atratus
Sibling taxa
A. atratus var. atratus, A. atratus var. inseptus, A. atratus var. owyheensis
A. atratus var. atratus, A. atratus var. mensanus, A. atratus var. owyheensis
Synonyms A. mensanus
Name authority M. E. Jones: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 2, 5: 665. (1895) Barneby in C. L. Hitchcock et al.: Vasc. Pl. Pacif. N.W. 3: 220, plate [p. 221], fig. s.n. [lower left center]. (1961)
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