Herbs usually low, 10–40 cm, glabrous; stoloniferous or rhi­zomatous. Stems 1–20+, often decumbent, sometimes ascend­ing, unbranched, fleshy, base often spongy. Leaves: stipules lanceolate-ovate to ovate or deltate, 2–8 mm, ± scarious, fragile; petiolate to long-petiolate; rachis ± straight, 1–4 cm; leaflets (3–)5–7, petiolulate, blades elliptic to obovate, 6–20 mm, apex obtuse to emarginate, surfaces glabrous. Peduncles ascending to spreading, 2.3–9 cm, equaling or longer than subtending leaf, elongating in fruit, glabrous; bract subtending umbel, 1–3(–7)-foliolate. Umbels (2 or)3–9-flowered. Flowers 10–16 mm; calyx reddish, 4.5–6 mm, glabrous, tube cylindric, 2.5–4 mm, lobes subulate to narrowly triangular, 2–2.5 mm, eciliate; corolla banner yellow, wings and keel pale to dark pink, sometimes whitish, wings fading white, keel pink- to purple-tipped, wings ± equaling or longer than keel, claw longer than calyx tube, banner reflexed to 180°, keel apex acute to subacute. Legumes ± ascending to ± inclined, brown, oblong, turgid, 20–30 × 2–3 mm, thinly leathery, incompletely septate, glabrous. Seeds (8–)10–14(–16), olive brown to brown, oblong, 1–1.5 mm. 2n = 14.

Phenology: Flowering spring(–early summer).
Habitat: Water or springy areas, shores, coastal meadows, wet meadows or woodlands, sphagnum bogs, pastures, roadside ditches, coastal areas.
Elevation: 0–200(–700) m.

Distribution

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B.C., Calif., Oreg., Wash.

Discussion

Hosackia gracilis reaches its northern limit in southeastern Vancouver Island and adjacent Gulf islands near Victoria, British Columbia (G. W. Douglas and M. Ryan 2006). Southward it follows the coast of Washington (Grays Harbor County), Oregon (with an inland incursion to Lane County), and California (to San Luis Obispo County), with disjunct populations inland in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.