Herbs sometimes stolonifer­ous; caudex compact to diffuse. Stems to 50 cm, sparsely branched, eglandular or sparsely glandular, puberulent to pubescent, hairs black and/or white; proximal 1–5 nodes usually naked and with cataphylls, light to dark brown, 3–7 mm, glabrous, margins sometimes ciliate. Leaves: stipules persistent or tardily deciduous, yellow-green to green, narrowly elliptic to linear-oblanceolate, 4–10 × 1–3 mm; petiole 1.1–6.5 cm, ribbed, base slightly constricted, jointed to stem, different color and texture, glandular, sparsely to moderately pubescent; rachis 0.9–2.1 cm, rarely longer than petiole; petiolules brown, 1–3 mm, densely pubescent (more so than petiole); leaflet blades usually lanceolate or triangular, rarely widely elliptic or widely ovate, 2–7 × 1.5–5 cm, base broadly attenuate to cordate, apex acute, surfaces sparsely faint, golden-glandular and sparsely pubescent. Peduncles 1.5–10.5 cm. Inflorescences with 4–15 nodes, 2 or 3 flowers per node, ovoid to ellipsoid; rachis 0.6–4.5 cm, slightly elongated in fruit, internodes 1–3 mm (in flower) or 3–5 mm (in fruit); bracts early to tardily deciduous, elliptic or lanceolate to oblanceolate-caudate, 3–7 × 1–3.5 mm, obscurely glandular, abaxially pubescent, adaxially glabrous. Pedicels 1.5–2.5 mm. Flowers 11–14 mm; calyx deciduous, broadly campanulate, elongated in fruit, 6–8 mm, glandular and strigose, hairs usually black, sometimes black and white, tube 4.5–5 mm, lobes pubescent inside; corolla yellow or cream with purple blotch on apex of keel petals, banner 10–13.5 mm; filaments 9–10 mm; anthers ovate; pistil 8.5–9.5 mm; ovary and style base pubescent. Legumes golden-red, compressed-obovate, 4–7 × 3–5 mm, not beaked, apiculate, faintly reticulate, eglandular, sparsely pubescent, hairs red-brown. Seeds dark red-brown, 5–6.5 × 3–4 mm.

Phenology: Flowering Apr–Sep.
Habitat: Forested slopes and canyon bottoms to dry, open clearings in forests and roadsides.
Elevation: 0–1700 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

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

Discussion

Rupertia physodes is known from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, around Puget Sound, Washington, and south along the coastal ranges of Washington and Oregon to San Diego County, California; disjunct inland populations occur in the counties of Amador, San Bernardino, Shasta, and Tehama (California), Latah (Idaho), and Umatilla (Oregon).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.