Oxytropis campestris var. cusickii
Oxytropis campestris var. johannensis
Cusick's field crazyweed, Cusick's field locoweed, Cusick's locoweed, Cusick's oxytrope, field locoweed, yellow locoweed
johann's locoweed, oxytrope du fleuve saint-jean
1.2–12 cm;
stipules glabrous or sparsely pilose proximally, margins ciliate or eciliate;
leaflets 7–15(–17), opposite, subopposite, or scattered, blades 4–23 mm.
4–26 cm;
stipules glabrous or sparsely pilose abaxially, margins ciliate;
leaflets 15–29, opposite or subopposite, blades 3–29 mm.
3–15-flowered, subcapitate to somewhat elongate.
7–12(–14)-flowered.
prostrate to erect, 2–19 cm, glabrate, appressed-pilose, or villous-pilose, axis 0.5–3(–6) cm in fruit.
erect, (4–)8–36 cm, axis 1.5–9(–11) cm in fruit.
whitish or yellowish throughout, keel tip usually not maculate, 14–18(–20) mm.
usually purple, rarely white, 12–18.5 mm.
tube 6–9 mm, lobes 1–3.5(–4) mm.
tube 5–6 mm, lobes usually lanceolate, (1–)2–3 mm.
10–19 × 3.5–5(–6) mm.
14–27 × 5–9 mm.
= 48.
= 48.
Oxytropis campestris var. cusickii
Oxytropis campestris var. johannensis
Variety cusickii is highly variable in flower size, especially where the large-flowered Oxytropis sericea var. speciosa occurs nearby. The existence of apparently transitional populations demonstrates the absence of consistent diagnostic features to separate what are, otherwise, rather distinctive taxa. The flowers seldom fade to a relatively bright yellowish on drying, as in O. sericea var. speciosa. It is not always possible to distinguish specimens of var. cusickii from var. spicata. Those materials traditionally passing as var. cusickii often occur in near proximity to var. spicata, which occurs at lower elevations on the same mountain ranges.
Oxytropis alpicola (Rydberg) M. E. Jones is an illegitimate name that pertains here.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Plants of var. johannensis from south of James Bay, Ontario, have fasciculate leaves and relatively short fruits; the latter characteristic indicates a close relationship to var. chartacea. Some specimens appear to be transitional to Oxytropis splendens. The Pan-Arctic Flora (http://panarcticflora.org/) treats var. johannensis as a synonym of O. terrae-novae.
Variety johannensis is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
BC, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites:
Flora NW, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
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