Plants cespitose, appearing acau­lescent; caudex subterranean or superficial; branches sometimes elongate, with persistent, pale stipules and leaf bases. Leaves 0.5–6 cm; stipules membranous, stramineous, 7–13 mm, glabrous, margins ciliate; leaflets (5–)9–13, opposite, blades linear-lanceolate to linear, (4–)5–8.5(–12) mm, usually involute and falcate, apex acute, surfaces greenish, sparsely hirsute. Peduncles 0.5–5 cm, pubescent; bract ovate to lanceolate, pilose. Racemes 1–3-flowered, subcapitate. Calyces campanulate, pilose; tube 5–7 mm, lobes (1–)2–3 mm. Corollas often purple, sometimes white, 12–15(–19) mm. Legumes spreading, stipitate, stipe 1.5–3 mm, ovoid-ellipsoid or bladdery-inflated, 15–25(–38) × 10–17(–20) mm, subunilocular, thin-papery, strigose-pilosulous.

Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Rocky alpine ridges, coastal shores.
Elevation: 0–3900 m.

Distribution

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Alta., B.C., Nfld. and Labr. (Labr.), Nunavut, Que., Colo., Mont., Wyo.

Discussion

Plants with flowers alone are difficult to separate from Oxytropis nigrescens; the folded, typically falcate leaflets of O. podocarpa are diagnostic. Oxytropis podocarpa is a species of conservation concern in Montana.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.