Astragalus chamaemeniscus
Leafl. W. Bot. 3: 105, plate 1, fig. A. 1942.
Plants shortly caulescent, 3–13 cm, villous-hirsutulous; from shallow, subterranean woody caudex. Stems several, reclining or ascending, proximal few nodes 0.5–5 cm underground, villous-hirsutulous. Leaves 2–8 cm; stipules 3–7 mm, membranous; leaflets 9–21, blades obovate to oblanceolate, 3–11 mm, apex obtuse or emarginate, surfaces loosely pilose abaxially, glabrous adaxially. Peduncles incurved-ascending, reclined in fruit, 1.5–5 cm. Racemes 3–10-flowered, flowers ascending; axis 0.5–2 cm in fruit, not much elongating; bracts 2.5–4.5 mm; bracteoles 2. Pedicels 1.5–3 mm. Flowers 14–19 mm; calyx campanulate-cylindric, 5.8–10 mm, villosulous, tube 4.7–7 mm, lobes subulate, 1.1–3 mm; corolla reddish violet to pink-purple; keel 10.2–11.5(–15) mm. Legumes firmly attached to receptacle, falling while still attached to pedicel, ascending to declined (humistrate), stramineous, incurved through 0.3 spiral, crescentic, 3-sided compressed, deltoid in cross section, dorsal suture slightly grooved, 20–45 × 5–8 mm, bilocular, scarcely fleshy becoming leathery, faces prominently reticulate, sparsely villosulous, hairs to 1 mm; septum 3.5–4.2 mm wide; stipe 1–2.5 mm.
Phenology: Flowering mid Apr–early Jul.
Habitat: Rabbitbrush, greasewood, sagebrush, horsebrush, ricegrass, and galleta communities.
Elevation: 1500–1700 m.
Discussion
Astragalus chamaemeniscus is known from Lincoln, Nye, and White Pine counties in Nevada, and Beaver and Iron counties in Utah.
As the long crescent-shaped fruits of Astragalus chamaemeniscus mature, the rather slender peduncles are quickly weighed down, the fruits lying in a ring upon the ground, often largely concealed by leaves. Fruits tend to fall at random angles to the raceme axis, making it is difficult to determine whether the fruits are by nature ascending or declined (R. C. Barneby 1964).
Selected References
None.