Astragalus convallarius var. scopulorum
Astragalus sect. Genistoidei
lesser rushy milkvetch, Rocky Mountain milkvetch
20–50 cm.
few or several to many.
odd-pinnate, petiolate to short-petiolate;
leaflets (1 or)3–21, or reduced to phyllodium, sometimes terminal leaflet decurrent and not jointed to rachis.
3–13 proximally, some distal leaves reduced to naked rachis or with at most 1 pair of filiform leaflets, blades 2–25(–33) mm.
loosely flowered, flowers often ascending then declined.
0.6–2.3 mm.
(6.6–)8.1–11.2 mm;
calyx 4–6.3 mm, tube (3.5–)3.8–5.4 mm, lobes 0.5–1.1 mm.
whitish, ochroleucous, lilac, or purple to pink-purple, banner recurved through 40–90°, keel apex obtuse, broadly triangular, or acute-triangular and beaklike.
tubes campanulate.
oblanceoloid, 20–35 × 2.3–4 mm, tapering downward into calyx from obliquely triangular apex.
persistent, sessile or substipitate, declined-pendulous, spreading, or ascending, linear to linear-ellipsoid, oblanceoloid, or narrowly oblong, laterally compressed and 2-sided, unilocular.
11–17.
6–26.
0–2.
basifixed or malpighian.
connate or distinct at distal nodes.
Astragalus convallarius var. scopulorum
Astragalus sect. Genistoidei
Variety scopulorum is mostly from the valleys of the Grand and Gunnison rivers in west-central Colorado. It differs from var. convallarius primarily in the fruits that taper from obliquely triangular apices to the narrower bases at the calyces.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Species 3 (3 in the flora).
Section Genistoidei consists of three species that are widespread through the Rocky Mountains and intermontane United States, from British Columbia and Alberta southward to Washington, Arizona, and South Dakota.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
