Oxytropis arctica
Chlor. Melvill., 20. 1823.
Plants cespitose, appearing acaulescent. Leaves (3–)4–21 cm; stipules membranous, fragile, strongly imbricate, grayish or yellowish, 10–20 mm, pilose abaxially becoming glabrate, margins ciliate, with clavate processes; leaflets 3–21, alternate, opposite, subopposite, scattered, or fasciculate, blades lanceolate, elliptic, lanceolate-elliptic, or oblong, 4–40 × 2–5 mm, apex acute, surfaces pilose. Peduncles 4–15(–31) cm, strigulose to spreading-villous; bract linear-lanceolate, mostly longer than pedicel, pilose. Racemes 2–10+-flowered. Calyces cylindric, villous to shaggy-villous or pilose, hairs black and white; tube 5–8.7 mm, lobes 1.5–6 mm. Corollas usually pink-purple, pinkish violet, or bluish, rarely white or yellowish, (14–)16–22 mm, wing petals 4–6 mm wide apically. Legumes erect, spreading, or erect-ascending, sessile or short-stipitate, ovoid-acuminate, 10–25 × 5–7 mm, bilocular or sub-bilocular, thinly papery, pilose or short-villous.
Distribution
n North America.
Discussion
The relationships among subspecific taxa of Oxytropis arctica, O. campestris, and O. koyukukensis were examined by J. L. Jorgensen et al. (2003) using molecular data.
Varieties 5 (5 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
Key
| 1 | Plants usually 15–45 cm; racemes 10 +-flowered; leaflets 11+, alternate, opposite, or fasciculate; disjunct from Anaktuvuk, Koyukuk, Northway, Shaktoolik, Umiat, and Wiseman, Alaska, and Kluane Lake, Yukon. | Oxytropis arctica var. koyukukensis |
| 1 | Plants 4–21 cm; racemes 2–8(–10)-flowered; leaflets 3–17+, alternate, opposite, subopposite, fasciculate, or scattered; Alaska, Manitoba, Nunavut, Yukon. | > 2 |
| 2 | Leaflets 11–17, alternate or opposite, blades broadly elliptic to oblong or lanceolate-elliptic; corollas white, fading cream; Kotzebue, Alaska, and eastward. | Oxytropis arctica var. barnebyana |
| 2 | Leaflets 3–17+, alternate, subopposite, fasciculate, or scattered, blades narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate-elliptic, or lanceolate to elliptic or oblong; corollas pink-purple to bluish, pinkish violet, or, rarely, white or yellowish; Alaska, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon. | > 3 |
| 3 | Leaves 2–17(–19) cm, leaflets alternate, subopposite, or fasciculate; n Alaska east to Hudson Bay. | Oxytropis arctica var. arctica |
| 3 | Leaves 3–13(–17) cm, leaflets usually fasciculate, sometimes opposite or scattered; Hudson Bay, sw Yukon. | > 4 |
| 4 | Calyces 3.5–4.5 mm wide when pressed, shaggy-pilose, hairs mostly dark; vicinity of Hudson Bay. | Oxytropis arctica var. bellii |
| 4 | Calyces 4–5 mm wide when pressed, shaggy-villous, hairs black and white; sw Yukon. | Oxytropis arctica var. murrayi |