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Published In: Flora Boreali-Americana (Hooker) 1(3): 152–153. 1831. (Fl. Bor.-Amer.) Name publication detailView in BotanicusView in Biodiversity Heritage Library
 

Project Name Data (Last Modified On 8/29/2017)
Acceptance : Accepted
Project Data     (Last Modified On 7/9/2009)
Status: Native

 

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Astragalus lotiflorus Hook. (low milk vetch, lotus milk vetch)

Pl. 389 i–k; Map 1716

Plants perennial herbs (but sometimes flowering the first year), with a taproot, sometimes below a branched caudex. Stems 1–8(–12) cm long, sometimes apparently absent and the nodes short and densely clustered, mostly prostrate, but the inner stems often loosely ascending to erect, several per plant, unbranched or more commonly few-branched, green or purplish-tinged, glabrous toward the base, moderately to more commonly densely pubescent with branched hairs, these appressed and with 2 opposite branches, thus appearing as a straight line attached near the midpoint (best observed carefully with magnification). Leaves with the petiole 10–30 mm long, with 9–15(–21) leaflets, the rachis 4–9 cm long. Stipules 2–8 mm long, free from the petiole and not sheathing the stem, narrowly lanceolate to ovate, tapered to a sharply pointed tip, membranous when young, papery at maturity. Leaflets 4–15 mm long, 2–6 mm wide, narrowly oblanceolate to lanceolate, elliptic, or obovate, rounded to bluntly pointed at the tip, the upper surface sparsely branched-hairy, the undersurface moderately to densely branched-hairy (the foliage leaves similar to those of the stem). Inflorescence of 2 types (produced on separate plants or those with cleistogamous flowers produced late in the season only from basal nodes), those with open flowers short, appearing as capitate clusters or short, dense, often more or less ovoid, spikelike racemes, 3–5 cm long, the stalk 2–6(–9) cm long, with 5–11 flowers; those with cleistogamous flowers appearing as capitate clusters or very short, spikelike racemes, 1–3 cm long, the stalk absent or to 2 cm long, with 2–4 flowers. Bracts 2–3 mm long, hairy. Flowers mostly spreading, the stalks 0.5–2.5 mm long, hairy. Calyces with the tube 2–3 mm long, narrowly bell-shaped, usually slightly pouched, densely hairy, the lobes 2–3 mm long, narrowly triangular. Corollas of open flowers well-developed, light greenish yellow, the banner 8–11 mm long, 4–5 mm wide, somewhat curved or bent upward, the wings 7–9 mm long, the keel 6–7 mm long; those of cleistogamous flowers reduced, not fully opening, white to pale cream-colored, the banner 4–7 mm long, the wings and keel 4–6 mm long. Stamens with the fused portion 4–5 mm long, the free portion 1.0–1.5 mm long. Styles 4–6 mm long. Fruits 16–25 mm long, 6–7 mm wide, cylindric, short-tapered to a short beak at the tip, straight or nearly so, not or only slightly inflated, leathery at maturity, ascending, 1-locular, hairy, sometimes reddish- to purplish-tinged when young, dehiscent from the tip, sometimes tardily or after being shed. Seeds 1.8–2.5 mm long, the surface brown to reddish grown, coarsely and bluntly wrinkled. 2n=26. April–May.

Uncommon, known only from Holt and Atchison Counties (Montana to Minnesota south to New Mexico, Texas, and Arkansas; Canada). Loess hill prairies.

 
 


 

 
 
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