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Photo is of parent taxon

spiny milkvetch

Photo is of parent taxon

jessie's kentrophyta, spiny milkvetch

Habit Plants decumbent, loosely mat-forming. Plants spreading or prostrate, loosely mat-forming, 5–35 cm wide.
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.

1–1.7 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, 1.5–7(–8) mm;

leaflets 5, blades 4–10 mm, surfaces pubescent.

Peduncles

subobsolete to 0.2 cm.

0.1–0.6 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.

5.2–6.5 mm;

calyx 3.6–5.1 mm, tube 1.6–2.5 mm, lobes subulate, spinulose, 1.9–3 mm;

corolla whitish, banner and keel tips sometimes faintly tinged pink or lilac.

Legumes

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

lenticular or ovoid-lenticular, 3–4.5 × 1.4–2 mm.

Seeds

2 or 3(or 4).

2(or 3).

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Astragalus kentrophyta var. kentrophyta

Astragalus kentrophyta var. jessiae

Phenology Flowering Jun–Sep. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Bluffs, dunes, gullied ridges in badlands. Bluffs, ridges, dunes, sandy sites.
Elevation 1200–1600 m. (3900–5200 ft.) 700–2400 m. (2300–7900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; MT; ND; NE; SD; WY; AB; SK
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; OR; UT; WY
[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.)

The distribution of var. jessiae is bicentric: southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon, and northeastern Utah and southwestern Wyoming.

(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. coloradoensis, A. kentrophyta var. danaus, A. kentrophyta var. douglasii, A. kentrophyta var. elatus, A. kentrophyta var. kentrophyta, A. kentrophyta var. neomexicanus, A. kentrophyta var. tegetarius, A. kentrophyta var. ungulatus
Synonyms A. jessiae
Name authority unknown (M. Peck) Barneby: Leafl. W. Bot. 6: 154. (1951)
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