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Photo is of parent taxon

spiny milkvetch

Photo is of parent taxon

Canyonlands kentrophyta, Colorado spiny milkvetch

Habit Plants decumbent, loosely mat-forming. Plants loosely mat- or clump-forming, low, to 12 cm.
Stems

and herbage strigulose, hairs basifixed or obscurely malpighian.

and herbage strigulose, hairs malpighian.

Leaves

(0.7–)1–2.5 cm;

stipules dimorphic, those at proximal nodes connate into short, bidentate sheath, those at distal nodes longer, connate at base only, lanceolate or lanceolate-acuminate, often without spines, 2–7 mm;

leaflets 5 or 7, blades 7–12 mm, surfaces pubescent abaxially, glabrous or glabrescent adaxially.

0.9–2.4 cm;

stipules 1–12 mm;

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

Peduncles

subobsolete to 0.2 cm.

0.2–0.6 cm.

Flowers

4–5.5 mm;

calyx 3.4–4 mm, tube 1.9–2.4 mm, lobes subulate to setaceous, 1.4–2 mm;

corolla whitish.

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.

Legumes

subsymmetrically ovoid-lenticular, (3.5–)4–7 × 2.4–3.8 mm.

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

Seeds

2 or 3(or 4).

4–8.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Astragalus kentrophyta var. kentrophyta

Astragalus kentrophyta var. coloradoensis

Phenology Flowering Jun–Sep. Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Bluffs, dunes, gullied ridges in badlands. Sandy wash bottoms, sandy pockets on sandstone rimrock, in mixed desert shrub communities.
Elevation 1200–1600 m. (3900–5200 ft.) 900–1700 m. (3000–5600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; MT; ND; NE; SD; WY; AB; SK
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; UT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Variety kentrophyta is a taxon of the High Plains from southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan through eastern Montana, Wyoming and Colorado, the western Dakotas, and western Nebraska.

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

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

(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. coloradoensis, A. kentrophyta var. danaus, A. kentrophyta var. douglasii, A. kentrophyta var. elatus, A. kentrophyta var. jessiae, A. kentrophyta var. neomexicanus, A. kentrophyta var. tegetarius, A. kentrophyta var. ungulatus
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
Name authority unknown M. E. Jones: Contr. W. Bot. 10: 63. (1902)
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