Astragalus lentiginosus var. kennedyi
Leafl. W. Bot. 4: 121. 1945.
Plants biennial or perennial (short-lived), (10–)15–40(–50) cm; herbage villosulous. Stems decumbent and ascending. Leaves 4.5–12(–15) cm; leaflets (9–)15–21(or 23), blades obovate-cuneate to broadly oblong-oblanceolate, (5–)7–20 mm, apex obtuse, emarginate, or retuse. Peduncles (3–)4.5–7.5 cm. Racemes loosely (10–)15–35-flowered, lax and open in fruit; axis (3.5–)5–12 cm in fruit. Flowers (11.8–)12.5–17 mm; calyx 6.1–8.8 mm, tube 4.1–5.7 mm, lobes 1.6–3.1 mm; corolla bright pink. Legumes stramineous, usually narrowly ovoid-acuminate, more rarely plumply so, bladdery-inflated, (20–)25–30 × 9–15 mm, papery-membranous, usually lustrous, usually glabrous, rarely puberulent; beak 5–9 mm, unilocular. Seeds (24–)26–36. 2n = 22.
Phenology: Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat: Alkaline dunes, sandy valleys, dry stony knolls, sometimes on volcanic gravel or cinders.
Elevation: 1100–1800 m.
Discussion
Variety kennedyi is a locally abundant endemic of west-central Nevada, blending with var. fremontii in the south.
Selected References
None.