Astragalus australis var. lepagei |
Astragalus australis var. glabriusculus |
|
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Lepage's milkvetch |
aboriginal milkvetch |
|
Stems | sprawling to ascending, (8–)24–40 cm. |
ascending, 10–50 cm. |
Leaves | 3–9 cm; sessile or petiolate; leaflets (5–)9–15, blades elliptic to lanceolate, lanceolate-oblong, linear-lanceolate, or linear, 6–33 mm, apex acute to apiculate, surfaces glabrous, strigulose, pilosulous, or villous. |
1–7(–10) cm; sessile; leaflets 5–19, blades linear to oblong, lanceolate, or elliptic, 3–27(–35) mm, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces glabrous, strigose, or villous. |
Racemes | densely to loosely 8–29(–32)-flowered; axis 3–14 cm in fruit. |
densely 6–40-flowered; axis 1.5–15 cm in fruit. |
Peduncles | (4–)4.5–10 cm. |
(2–)6.5–15 cm. |
Flowers | (10.5–)11.5–13.8(–14.5) mm; calyx (4.7–)4.8–6.5 mm, tube 2.8–5 mm, lobes (1–)1.4–2.4 mm. |
7–12.5 mm; calyx 4–7 mm, tube 3–4 mm, lobes 1.5–3 mm; corolla whitish to purplish. |
Corollas | whitish to purplish. |
|
Legumes | obliquely ellipsoid to narrowly oblong, (10–)15–30 × (3–)6–8.5 mm, glabrous; stipe (3–)5–7 mm. |
obliquely ellipsoid to narrowly oblong, seldom bladdery, 10–30 × 3–7(–9) mm, glabrous or sometimes strigose; stipe 2.5–8 mm. |
Seeds | 8–16. |
|
2n | = 16. |
|
Astragalus australis var. lepagei |
Astragalus australis var. glabriusculus |
|
Phenology | Flowering Jun–Jul. | Flowering May–Aug. |
Habitat | Spits, gravel bars, slopes, ridge crests, in mixed tundra. | Gravel bars, stony shores, talus, ridge crests, meadows. |
Elevation | 0–400 m. (0–1300 ft.) | 20–3700 m. (100–12100 ft.) |
Distribution |
AK; YT |
CO; ID; MT; ND; NM; NV; OR; SD; UT; WY; AB; BC; MB; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT |
Discussion | R. C. Barneby (1964) provided an extensive and detailed overview of the variation within this variety (as Astragalus aboriginorum) and the taxonomy that was applied in an attempt to adequately classify the variation. To the north, distinction from var. muriei is debatable, but to the south, leaves are almost uniformly sessile. Still, along the cordillera are a great many morphological variants, some possibly worthy of taxonomic recognition. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 11. | FNA vol. 11. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | A. lepagei | Phaca glabriuscula, A. aboriginorum, A. forwoodii var. wallowensis, A. richardsonii, A. scrupulicola |
Name authority | (Hultén) S. L. Welsh: Great Basin Naturalist 58: 47. (1998) | (Hooker) Isely: Iowa State J. Res. 59: 130. (1984) |
Web links |