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skunktop

Habit Herbs acaulescent or subacaulescent, 4–16 cm, mostly glandular (with obvious blond to dark brown glands) and pubescent throughout.
Stems

erect, unbranched, retrorsely hairy, leaves clustered;

pseudoscapes mainly subterranean, to 4 cm;

cataphylls 0–5 mm, glabrous or pubescent.

Leaves

palmately 5(or 6)-foliolate;

stipules usually persistent, sometimes tardily deciduous, lanceolate to elliptic, (4–)7–11 × 2.5–8 mm, glabrate to pubescent;

petiole jointed basally, (30–)50–120 mm, retrorse-hairy;

petiolules 2–3 mm;

leaflet blades abaxially gray-green, adaxially green to yellow-green, cuneate-obovate to orbiculate, (1.5–)2–4 × (0.8–)1.5–3.5 cm, base cuneate, apex broadly acute to rounded or retuse, surfaces glandular and pubescent.

Inflorescences

disjointing in age at peduncle base, globose to elongate, 1.5–5(–8) cm;

rachis 1.5–2.5 cm, nodes 4–6(–10), (2 or)3 flowers per node, internodes to 8 mm;

bracts tardily deciduous or persistent, ovate to elliptic, 5–12 × 3–7 mm, long-pubescent.

Peduncles

(2–)4–8(–10) cm, equal to or shorter than subtending petiole, pilose, hairs spreading or spreading-retrorse.

Pedicels

2–4(–6) mm.

Flowers

10–13 mm;

calyx gibbous-campanulate in fruit, 10–12.5 mm abaxially, 10–12 mm adaxially, glandular, pubescent;

tube 2.5–4 mm;

lobes linear or linear-lanceolate to elliptic, abaxial 7–9 × 2–3 mm, adaxial 4–8 × 1–1.5 mm;

corolla mostly purple, banner white to ochroleucous, elliptic to oblanceolate, 9–12 × 6 mm with claw 2–4 mm, wings 10–12 × 2–2.5 mm with claw 4–4.5 mm, keel 8–9 × 2–3 mm with claw 3.5–4.5 mm;

filaments 7–8.5 mm;

anthers elliptic, 0.3 mm;

ovary glabrous or pubescent apically, style glabrous or pubescent proximally.

Legumes

globose to ovoid, 5–7 × 3.5–5 mm, eglandular, pubescent on adaxial 1/2, beak 1–4 mm, not exserted beyond calyx.

Seed

red-brown to dark brown or gray-green and black-mottled, ellipsoid to reniform, 4–5 × 3 mm.

Pediomelum mephiticum

Phenology Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat Rocky or sandy soils, pine, juniper, or oak woodlands.
Elevation 700–2000 m. (2300–6600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NV; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The type locality of Pediomelum mephiticum is stated as Beaver City, Utah, which is largely agreed to be erroneous. The type locality is more likely Beaver Dam, Arizona (J. W. Grimes 1990). Pediomelum mephiticum is known from Mohave County in Arizona, Clark and Lincoln counties in Nevada, and Washington County in Utah.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Pediomelum
Sibling taxa
P. argophyllum, P. aromaticum, P. californicum, P. canescens, P. castoreum, P. cuspidatum, P. cyphocalyx, P. digitatum, P. epipsilum, P. esculentum, P. humile, P. hypogaeum, P. latestipulatum, P. linearifolium, P. megalanthum, P. palmeri, P. pariense, P. pentaphyllum, P. piedmontanum, P. reverchonii, P. rhombifolium, P. subacaule, P. tenuiflorum, P. verdiense
Synonyms Psoralea mephitica
Name authority (S. Watson) Rydberg in N. L. Britton et al.: N. Amer. Fl. 24: 22. (1919)
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