Herbage pallid or yellowish. Stems clustered from root-crown or subterranean to superficial caudex, decumbent, (5–)10–35 cm. Leaves (2–)4–11(–16) cm; leaflets 15–25, blades obovate-cuneate, oval, or oblanceolate, 4–16 mm, apex usually obtuse or acute, rarely truncate-emarginate. Peduncles (1.5–)2–6.5(–8) cm. Racemes (5–)8–20-flowered; axis (1–)2–7 cm in fruit. Pedicels (2–)2.8–5.5 mm. Flowers: calyx 9.6–14 mm, strigulose, pilosulous, or ascending-pilose, hairs mixed black and white or all black, tube 7–9.7 mm, lobes (1.9–)2.3–4(–4.4) mm; corolla white; banner (18.3–)20–24 × (8.6–)9–12 mm. Legumes glo­bose or plumply ovoid-oblong or obovoid-oblong, 15–27 × 12–25 mm. Seeds (40–)47–59. 2n = 22.

Phenology: Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat: Prairies, grassy hillsides, open knolls, on granite, shale, sandstone, or limestone, with sagebrush.
Elevation: 1000–2700 m.

Distribution

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Colo., Mont., Nebr., N.Mex., Okla., S.Dak., Wyo.

Discussion

Variety paysonii, not sharply demarcated from var. crassicarpus, is a plant of lower elevations along the eastern slope and valleys of the Rocky Mountain chain from southwestern Montana southward to the Oklahoma panhandle and adjacent New Mexico.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.