Astragalus cusickii var. sterilis |
Astragalus cusickii var. cusickii |
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barren milkvetch |
Cusick's milk vetch |
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Habit | Plants from subterranean caudex, sometimes with stolonlike branches, 2–8 cm underground; distal leaves mostly foliose. | Plants from shallow subterranean or superficial caudex; distal leaves foliose. |
Leaves | stipules connate-sheathing at proximal nodes, distinct at distal nodes; leaflets 7–11, blades to 2–5 mm, surfaces strigulose adaxially (often densely so); terminal leaflet not jointed to slightly dilated 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 3–3.6 × 2.2–2.5 mm; corolla ochroleucous, fading yellowish; banner 9–10 mm. |
calyx 4.4–5.8 × 3–4 mm; corolla white or creamy white, concolorous; banner 14–15.5 mm. |
Legumes | purple-mottled, obliquely ovoid, bladdery-inflated, 20–25 mm, (1–)1.2–2.2 mm wide when pressed; stipe 3 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 | 17–20. |
10–20. |
2n | = 22. |
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Astragalus cusickii var. sterilis |
Astragalus cusickii var. cusickii |
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Phenology | Flowering Jun–Jul. | Flowering May–Jul. |
Habitat | Barren clay and white or brown ash soils, bluffs, talus slopes, open hilltops. | Rocky and gravelly slopes, canyon terraces, ledges of basalt. |
Elevation | 1400–1500 m. (4600–4900 ft.) | 400–1000 m. (1300–3300 ft.) |
Distribution |
ID; OR |
ID; OR; WA |
Discussion | D. Isely (1998) maintained var. sterilis, a rare and local endemic from Owyhee County, Idaho, and Malheur County, Oregon, at the specific level, suggesting that it was derived from Astragalus cusickii. (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 | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | A. sterilis | |
Name authority | (Barneby) Barneby in A. Cronquist et al.: Intermount. Fl. 3(B): 78. (1989) | unknown |
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