Oxytropis borealis var. borealis
Oxytropis borealis var. viscida
boreal locoweed
boreal locoweed, Nuttall's oxytrope, oxytrope visqueux, sticky boreal crazyweed, sticky boreal locoweed, sticky crazyweed, sticky oxytrope, sticky oxytropis, viscid locoweed
1–18 cm;
leaflets (17 or)19–27(–37), blade apex acute to obtuse or rounded.
2–21 cm;
leaflets (19–)25–39+.
5–10-flowered, subcapitate or loose.
3–19+-flowered, subcapitate to elongate.
4–15 cm, subequal to or surpassing leaves, axis 0.5–2.5 cm in fruit, densely hirsute at least distally, hairs fuscous or mixed black and paler.
4–27 cm, often some surpassing leaves, axis often (1.5–)4–19 cm in fruit, pubescent.
purple, lilac, or whitish, 13–17 mm;
wing blades dilated distally to 3.5–5 mm.
pink-purple, lilac, whitish, or yellowish, keel tips maculate or not, 11–16 mm;
wing blades not especially dilated distally.
8–10(–12) mm, tube 5–6 mm, lobes (2–)3–4(–8) mm.
7–10.5 mm, tube 4–7 mm, lobes (1–)1.5–3.5(–4.5) mm, prominently tuberculate.
10–18 × 5–7 mm.
(8–)12–21(–30) × (4–)5–7 mm.
= 48.
Oxytropis borealis var. borealis
Oxytropis borealis var. viscida
Variety borealis is readily identified by the combination of relatively few leaflets, many flowers, and condensed, copiously hirsute inflorescences. Specimens from the interior, such as those in Denali National Park and at Black Rapids Glacier, Alaska, have racemes somewhat elongate and wing petals particularly widened near the apex.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Variety viscida is quite variable, with numerous subunits held together by tenuous characteristics that are difficult to define or place in a key. Variation is often great in populations from adjacent hillsides or on a single gravel bar, especially in the Arctic. Dwarf plants far removed from the range of var. hudsonica are similar to that entity; the inflorescences become capitate, and the calyx lobes are often relatively very short. Further study might reveal the need for additional segregation. The Pan-Arctic Flora (http://panarcticflora.org/) recognizes O. glutinosa and O. viscida as distinct species.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
MN Wildflowers, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
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USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
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