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Photo is of parent taxon

Packard's milkvetch

Photo is of parent taxon

Cusick's milk vetch

Habit Plants from shallow subterranean or superficial caudex; distal leaves foliose, reduced to naked rachis distally. Plants from shallow subterranean or superficial caudex; distal leaves foliose.
Leaves

stipules connate-sheathing at proximal nodes, distinct at distal nodes;

leaflets (5 or)7–11(or 13), blades to 5–18(–27) mm, surfaces strigulose adaxially (often densely so);

terminal leaflet continuous with rachis.

stipules connate-sheathing at proximal nodes, distinct at distal nodes;

leaflets (5 or)7–11(or 13), blades to 5–18(–27) mm, surfaces strigulose adaxially (often densely so);

terminal leaflet continuous with rachis.

Flowers

calyx 3.7–4.3 × 3–5 mm;

corolla purplish;

banner 8.5–10.5 mm.

calyx 4.4–5.8 × 3–4 mm;

corolla white or creamy white, concolorous;

banner 14–15.5 mm.

Legumes

not or faintly mottled, becoming stramineous, narrowly ellipsoid, 20–45 mm, 7–10 mm wide when pressed;

stipe 3–5 mm.

not mottled, turning stramineous, much inflated, usually broadly obovoid or obovoid-ellipsoid, rarely semi-ellipsoid, 20–48 mm, (1–)1.2–2.2 mm wide when pressed;

stipe 3–5(–6) mm.

Seeds

10–20.

10–20.

2n

= 22.

= 22.

Astragalus cusickii var. packardiae

Astragalus cusickii var. cusickii

Phenology Flowering May–Jun. Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat Bare clay hillsides. Rocky and gravelly slopes, canyon terraces, ledges of basalt.
Elevation 800–1000 m. (2600–3300 ft.) 400–1000 m. (1300–3300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
ID
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; OR; WA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Variety packardiae is known from Dry Creek in Payette County.

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

Variety cusickii is known from Malheur County in Oregon, northward on both sides of the Snake River to Asotin County in Washington.

The enclosed ovules or seeds of var. cusickii are partially visible through the walls of the balloonlike, transparent fruits.

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

Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Astragalus > sect. Cusickiani > Astragalus cusickii Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Astragalus > sect. Cusickiani > Astragalus cusickii
Sibling taxa
A. cusickii var. cusickii, A. cusickii var. flexilipes, A. cusickii var. sterilis
A. cusickii var. flexilipes, A. cusickii var. packardiae, A. cusickii var. sterilis
Name authority Barneby in A. Cronquist et al.: Intermount. Fl. 3(B): 78, plate [p. 79], fig. s.n. [upper right]. (1989) unknown
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