Astragalus whitneyi var. lenophyllus
Astragalus whitneyi var. whitneyi
balloonpod milkvetch, placer county milkvetch, Whitney's milk vetch, woolly-leaf milkvetch
balloonpod milkvetch, Whitney's milk vetch
densely hirsutulous, hairs ascending or spreading, stiff, ± straight, 0.5–0.7 mm.
strigulose, hairs appressed or narrowly ascending, straight or subsinuous, (0.3–)0.4–0.6 mm.
low, diffuse, 4–15(–20) cm.
low and diffuse or erect (when supported by sagebrush), 5–25 cm.
(1.5–)2–4 cm;
leaflets 9–17, blades 3–13 mm.
(1.5–)3–11 cm;
leaflets 9–17(or 19), blades 2–13(–15) mm.
5–9-flowered;
axis 0.5–2 cm in fruit.
(3–)5–15-flowered;
axis 1–4(–4.5) cm in fruit.
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 4.5–6.4 mm, tube (3.5–)3.7–4.2(–4.7) mm, lobes 0.8–1.5(–1.8) mm;
corolla lilac or pink-purple, wing tips pale or white;
banner (8.3–)10–14.2(–16.5) mm.
obovoid, tapering to base, 15–35(–42) × 10–20(–25) mm, glabrous;
stipe 3–5(–7) mm.
15–30(–40) × 10–18(–22) mm, glabrous;
stipe 2–4.5 mm.
13–25.
18–30.
= 22.
Astragalus whitneyi var. lenophyllus
Astragalus whitneyi var. whitneyi
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.)
Ranging from the mountains of southern California through the Sierra Nevada to northwestern Nevada, the widespread var. whitneyi can usually be distinguished by its red-purple or pink-purple petals and the fruits of relatively medium size. Morphological characters overlap, and some specimens of vars. siskiyouensis and whitneyi can be distinguished only by origin.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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