Astragalus moencoppensis
Plants slender, clump-forming, 9–60 cm, strigulose, hairs basifixed; from superficial or slightly subterranean branched caudex. Stems erect or ascending, usually shorter than longest peduncles, sparsely strigulose. Leaves 4–17 cm; stipules connate-sheathing at proximal nodes, connate or distinct at distal nodes, 1.5–7 mm, scarious; leaflets 5–15, blades filiform to linear or narrowly elliptic, 2–23 mm, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces strigose abaxially, glabrous adaxially; terminal leaflet sometimes decurrent distally, not jointed to rachis. Peduncles erect, 4–25 cm, together with racemes longer than stems, much surpassing subtending leaves. Racemes 6–34-flowered; axis 3–25 cm in fruit; bracts 1.5–3.5 mm; bracteoles 0 or 1. Pedicels 0.3–2 mm. Flowers 7–11 mm; calyx campanulate, 5–7.5 mm, white-pilose, tube 3–4 mm, lobes lanceolate-subulate, 1.8–3.5 mm; corolla marcescent, pink-purple; banner recurved through 45°; keel 5.7–7 mm. Legumes ascending-spreading, stramineous, slightly incurved, ovoid to ellipsoid, obcompressed, 5.5–8 × 2.3–3.4 mm, thinly fleshy becoming papery, strigulose. Seeds 4–6.
Phenology: Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat: Salt desert shrub, mixed desert shrub, pinyon-juniper communities, usually in saline, silty or clay, seleniferous soils.
Elevation: 1300–2200 m.
Discussion
Astragalus moencoppensis is marked by its greenish, semijunceous appearance and slender racemes bearing small flowers with villous calyces that, along with the marcescent petals, largely enclose the small fruits. It is a selenium indicator restricted to southeastern Utah and northeastern Arizona.
Selected References
None.