Astragalus henrimontanensis
Great Basin Naturalist 38: 12. 1978.
Plants: leaves in basal tuft, acaulescent, 4–15 cm, strigose, hairs basifixed; from branching caudex with coarse, persistent leaf bases. Leaves 2.7–12.5 cm; stipules 3–8 mm; leaflets 7–17, blades elliptic to oblanceolate, 3–13 mm, apex mucronate, acute to obtuse, or truncate, surfaces strigose. Peduncles 1.1–8 cm. Racemes 2–11-flowered, flowers ascending; axis 0.8–2.2 cm in fruit; bracts 1.8–5.5 mm; bracteoles 0–2. Pedicels 1.3–2.5 mm. Flowers 15–25 mm; calyx cylindric, 10.2–15 mm, strigulose, tube 8.2–11.5 mm, lobes subulate, 1.9–3.5 mm; corolla ochroleucous, sometimes tinged or veined purple, wing and keel tips purple; banner recurved through 40°. Legumes ascending, humistrate, slightly incurved, lanceoloid-oblong to lanceoloid-ellipsoid or lanceoloid-ovoid, somewhat dorsiventrally compressed, 22–35 × 5–11 mm, unilocular, thinly leathery or woody, strigose.
Phenology: Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat: Sagebrush, pinyon-juniper, ponderosa pine, aspen, and mixed conifer communities.
Elevation: 2200–2800 m.
Discussion
Astragalus henrimontanensis is restricted to the Henry Mountains and Aquarius Plateau, Garfield County. Fruits resemble those of A. argophyllus var. panguicensis. In flower color, erect, acaulescent habit, and the thatch of persistent leaf bases, it resembles A. eurekensis; in growth form, curved fruiting peduncles, and humistrate fruits, it is like A. welshii.
Selected References
None.