Oxytropis campestris var. davisii
Oxytropis campestris var. cusickii
Davis locoweed, Davis' field locoweed, Davis' oxytrope
Cusick's field crazyweed, Cusick's field locoweed, Cusick's locoweed, Cusick's oxytrope, field locoweed, yellow locoweed
3–17(–25) cm;
stipules free ends 5–6 mm, sparsely pilose abaxially, margins ciliate, sometimes also with clavate processes;
leaflets 25–39(–45), sometimes fasciculate, blades 4–20(–29) mm.
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.
10–30+-flowered, elongate in fruit.
3–15-flowered, subcapitate to somewhat elongate.
5–35(–38) cm, axis 2–8(–14) cm in fruit.
prostrate to erect, 2–19 cm, glabrate, appressed-pilose, or villous-pilose, axis 0.5–3(–6) cm in fruit.
usually pink-purple and fading dark purple, or bluish, sometimes polychrome, 14–19 mm.
whitish or yellowish throughout, keel tip usually not maculate, 14–18(–20) mm.
tube 4.2–6(–6.5) mm, lobes 1.3–3 mm.
tube 6–9 mm, lobes 1–3.5(–4) mm.
10–14 × 3.5–5 mm.
10–19 × 3.5–5(–6) mm.
= 32.
= 48.
Oxytropis campestris var. davisii
Oxytropis campestris var. cusickii
Variety davisii is readily distinguished by the combination of its colorful flowers, fasciculate leaflets (or the tendency toward fasciculate leaflets), and elongate inflorescences. It forms apparent intermediates with Oxytropis sericea var. speciosa and at the southern portion of its range is more or less transitional to var. spicata. A relationship with var. johannensis cannot be discounted, especially with those portions of that variety with fasciculate leaflets. Specimens transitional to O. splendens make assignment of materials to one or the other difficult in particular instances.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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.)
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