Astragalus humistratus var. hosackiae
Contr. W. Bot. 10: 58. 1902.
Plants sparsely strigulose or pilose-pilosulous, hairs ± straight, sometimes shorter one crispate or sinuous, herbage green or greenish cinereous. Stems (4–)7–36 cm. Stipules (1.5–)2.5–8 mm. Leaves 1–5 cm; leaflets 9–15, blades 3–9(–12) mm, surfaces glabrous adaxially. Peduncles 2–6 cm. Racemes 8–20-flowered; axis (0.8–)1.2–3.5 cm in fruit. Flowers: calyx (3.8–)4–5.5 mm, tube 2.5–3.2 mm, lobes lanceolate-acuminate or filiform-setaceous, (1–)1.4–2.5 mm; corolla greenish white or lined or suffused or margined with dull purple, sometimes all purple or wing tips whitish; banner 6.4–8 × 5–7 mm. Legumes plumply semi-ovoid or obliquely ovoid, 7–10 × (3.6–)4–5.5 mm, finely strigulose. Seeds (7 or)8–14. 2n = 24.
Phenology: Flowering May–Sep.
Habitat: Ponderosa pine, mixed pine-oak, oak-chaparral, and pinyon-juniper communities, on igneous bedrock.
Elevation: 1300–1700 m.
Discussion
Variety hosackiae is the smallest-flowered variety and is easily recognized by the small, nearly inflated fruits. It is locally sympatric with var. humivagans.
Selected References
None.