Herbs caulescent, 30–90 cm, sparsely glandular on adaxial leaf surfaces, mostly eglandular elsewhere, appressed-canescent. Stems erect, several branched distally, leaves dispersed along stems; pseudoscapes to 6 cm (when present); cataphylls 7–14 mm, glabrous or pubescent, at least abaxially. Leaves palmately (3–)5(–7)-foliolate; stipules persistent, linear becoming arcuate-recurved, 4–11 × 2–3 mm, eglandular or sparsely glandular, sparsely pubescent; petiole sometimes swollen but not jointed basally, slightly canaliculate, 10–35 mm; petiolules 1.5–3 mm; leaflet blades linear-lanceolate to oblanceolate, 0.9–5.5 × 0.2–0.8 cm, base cuneate, apex acuminate to apiculate, surfaces abaxially eglandular and appressed-pubescent, adaxially glandular and glabrate, or at least pubescent, along midvein. Peduncles 6.5–22 cm, much longer than subtending petiole, strigose. Inflorescences persistent, elongate, lax; rachis 2–6.5 cm, nodes (1 or)2–8, 3 flowers per node, internodes to 32 mm; bracts persist­ent, spatulate, obovate, or orbiculate, 2–10 × 1–5 mm, appressed-pubescent abaxially, glabrous adaxially. Pedicels 1–3 mm. Flowers 9.5–10.5 mm; calyx broadly and shallowly campanulate in fruit but not gibbous, 6–8 mm abaxially, 5–6 mm adaxially, eglandular to sparsely glandular, with light blond glands, appressed-pubescent, sometimes sparsely so; tube 2–3 mm; lobes deltate to lanceolate, abaxial 4–5 × 1–1.5 mm, adaxial 1.5 × 1 mm; corolla purple, violet, or blue-lavender, banner oblanceolate, 9.5–10 × 5–6 mm with claw 2–3 mm, wings 9–10 × 3 mm with claw 3–4 mm, keel 6.5–7 × 2–3 mm with claw 3 mm; filaments 6–6.5 mm; anthers ovoid, 0.4 mm; ovary glabrous, pubescent apically, style pubescent basally. Legumes obovoid to globose, 5–6 × 3.5–4 mm, glandular, sparsely strigose, at least distally, beak triangular, 1.5–4 mm, shorter than calyx lobes. Seed gray-green to red-brown, globose-reniform, 5 × 3–4 mm.

Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Grasslands, shrub communities.
Elevation: 50–1500 m.

Distribution

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Ark., Colo., Kans., La., Nebr., N.Mex., Okla., S.Dak., Tex., Wyo.

Discussion

Pediomelum digitatum is similar to P. linearifolium in habit, size, and distribution but differs in having more leaflets and pedicels 1–3 mm; pedicels in P. linearifolium can be 3–4 times as long. Furthermore, P. digitatum is eglandular or very sparsely glandular abaxially on leaflet blades whereas P. linearifolium is profusely glandular on both leaflet blade surfaces. Variety parvifolium refers to plants in Texas with narrow leaflets; J. W. Grimes (1990) and D. Isely (1998) stated that variation in leaflet size is found throughout the range, and thus var. parvifolium is not recognized herein as distinct.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.