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Photo is of parent taxon

Canyonlands kentrophyta, Colorado spiny milkvetch

Photo is of parent taxon

spiny leaf milk vetch, tall kentrophyta, tall spiny milkvetch

Habit Plants loosely mat- or clump-forming, low, to 12 cm. Plants usually erect or assurgent, rarely trailing, suffruticose and often bushy-branched basally, forming low, prickly bushes, 10–45(–65) cm, sometimes mat-forming.
Stems

and herbage strigulose, hairs malpighian.

and herbage strigulose, hairs malpighian.

Leaves

0.9–2.4 cm;

stipules 1–12 mm;

leaflets (3 or)5(or 7), blades 4–15 mm, surfaces pubescent.

(0.8–)1–2.6 cm;

stipules dimorphic, those at proximal nodes connate with bidentate tip, those at distal nodes connate near base with spiny tips, 1–12 mm;

leaflets (3 or)5 or 7, blades (2–)5–15(–17) mm, surfaces usually pubescent, sometimes glabrous adaxially.

Peduncles

0.2–0.6 cm.

0.1–0.6 cm.

Flowers

7.3–10 mm;

calyx 6–8.3 mm, tube 2.4–3.3 mm, lobes subulate, spinulose, 3.4–5 mm;

corolla pink-purple.

4.8–6.2 mm;

calyx 3.4–4.4 mm, tube 1.8–2.3 mm, lobes subulate, spinulose, 1.5–2.4 mm;

corolla usually whitish or faintly veined or tinged purple, fading ochroleucous, rarely pink-purple.

Legumes

subsymmetrically ellipsoid, lanceoloid- or oblong-ellipsoid, (5–)7–10 × 2.8–4 mm.

narrowly ovoid-acuminate, (3.5–)4–7 × 1.5–2 mm.

Seeds

4–8.

2–4.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Astragalus kentrophyta var. coloradoensis

Astragalus kentrophyta var. elatus

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Sandy wash bottoms, sandy pockets on sandstone rimrock, in mixed desert shrub communities. Mixed desert and salt desert shrub, juniper-pinyon, ponderosa pine, bristlecone pine, and pine-spruce communities, floodplains.
Elevation 900–1700 m. (3000–5600 ft.) 1500–2900(–3200) m. (4900–9500(–10500) ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; UT
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; UT; WY
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Variety coloradoensis is known from north-central Arizona and south-central Utah.

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

Both erect and prostrate phases are known, which at maturity form ascending or sprawling tangles of untidy, branched stems with prickly leaves, hence an alternative common name of barb-wire kentrophyta. The prostrate phases, typically from upper-middle elevations, simulate var. tegetarius, which has basifixed hairs.

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

Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Astragalus > sect. Ervoidei > Astragalus kentrophyta Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Astragalus > sect. Ervoidei > Astragalus kentrophyta
Sibling taxa
A. kentrophyta var. danaus, A. kentrophyta var. douglasii, A. kentrophyta var. elatus, A. kentrophyta var. jessiae, A. kentrophyta var. kentrophyta, A. kentrophyta var. neomexicanus, A. kentrophyta var. tegetarius, A. kentrophyta var. ungulatus
A. kentrophyta var. coloradoensis, A. kentrophyta var. danaus, A. kentrophyta var. douglasii, A. kentrophyta var. jessiae, A. kentrophyta var. kentrophyta, A. kentrophyta var. neomexicanus, A. kentrophyta var. tegetarius, A. kentrophyta var. ungulatus
Synonyms A. impensus
Name authority M. E. Jones: Contr. W. Bot. 10: 63. (1902) S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 77. (1871)
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