Astragalus whitneyi var. lenophyllus |
Astragalus whitneyi var. confusus |
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balloonpod milkvetch, placer county milkvetch, Whitney's milk vetch, woolly-leaf milkvetch |
alturas balloon milkvetch, alturas milkvetch, cone-like milkvetch, Whitney's milk vetch |
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Herbage | densely hirsutulous, hairs ascending or spreading, stiff, ± straight, 0.5–0.7 mm. |
gray- or silvery-villosulous, hairs incurved-ascending or straight, 0.5–0.8 mm. |
Stems | low, diffuse, 4–15(–20) cm. |
robust to low, decumbent, ascending, or erect, (5–)10–30 cm. |
Leaves | (1.5–)2–4 cm; leaflets 9–17, blades 3–13 mm. |
(2–)3–10 cm; leaflets (7–)13–21, blades (3–)5–20 mm. |
Racemes | 5–9-flowered; axis 0.5–2 cm in fruit. |
(5–)8–16-flowered; axis (1–)1.5–4 cm in fruit. |
Flowers | calyx 5.8–9 mm, tube 4.4–5.6 mm, lobes 1.2–1.8 mm, hirsutulous, hairs white or mixed black and white; corolla ochroleucous; banner (8.3–)10–14.2(–16.5) mm. |
calyx (5.8–)6.1–9.3 mm, tube (4–)4.5–5.9 mm, lobes (1.5–)1.8–3.6 mm; corolla whitish tinged with pale pink or lavender, sometimes drying ochroleucous; banner (12.8–)13.5–17.2 mm. |
Legumes | obovoid, tapering to base, 15–35(–42) × 10–20(–25) mm, glabrous; stipe 3–5(–7) mm. |
(17–)20–60 × (10–)13–25(–28) mm, strigulose; stipe 4–9 mm. |
Seeds | 13–25. |
22–30(–37). |
Astragalus whitneyi var. lenophyllus |
Astragalus whitneyi var. confusus |
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Phenology | Flowering Jul–Aug. | Flowering Apr–Jul. |
Habitat | Treeless summits and open, stony places in timber belt. | Sandy or gravelly, basaltic or granitic substrates, usually with sagebrush. |
Elevation | 2600–3100 m. (8500–10200 ft.) | 1300–2600 m. (4300–8500 ft.) |
Distribution |
CA |
CA; ID; NV; OR |
Discussion | Variety lenophyllus is most common in open places along the crest of the Sierra Nevada in Placer and Nevada counties. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
The range of var. confusus is from northeastern California and adjoining Oregon to northeastern Nevada, and southwestern and south-central Idaho. D. Isely (1998) expressed concern over maintaining var. confusus as distinct from the more northern var. sonneanus. It seems to have about equal integrity as other varieties; nevertheless, southward it forms intermediates with var. siskiyouensis. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 11. | FNA vol. 11. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Phaca lenophylla | |
Name authority | (Rydberg) Barneby: Aliso 2: 205. (1950) | Barneby: Aliso 2: 206. (1950) |
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