Rhizomes woody, vigorous, horizontal, creeping, developing new shoots. Aerial stems un­branched or sparsely branched, 4–10(–15) dm. Leaves (3–)4–11 cm; stipules 1–4 mm; petiole 3–20 mm; leaflet blades oblong-obovate, narrowly oblong, or narrowly elliptic, 3–18 × 3–9 mm, apex retuse to obtuse, apiculate, or acute, surfaces strigulose abaxially, glabrous adaxially. Peduncles (2.5–)3–7(–9) cm, 5–18 cm in fruit. Racemes ascending; bracts 1–4 mm; brac­teoles immediately subtending calyx, 0.5–1 mm. Pedicels 2.5–5 mm, in fruit ± recurved, thickened, 3–8 mm. Flowers: calyx persistent, 5–6 mm, strigulose, lobes triangular, 1.2–2 mm, subequal, shorter than tube, becoming papery; corolla drying lavender or brownish, 10–15 mm. Legumes green to purplish, sulcate abaxially, 13–35 mm, 10–20 mm diam. pressed, papery, membranous, semitransparent, strigulose to glabrate; stipe 4–8(–12) mm. Seeds brown to greenish or reddish brown, dull, smooth.

Phenology: Flowering May–Sep; fruiting Jul–Oct.
Habitat: Disturbed sites, floodplains, roadsides, sagebrush communities, salt flats.
Elevation: 100–2400 m.

Distribution

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Introduced; Sask., Ariz., Colo., Idaho, Kans., Mont., Nev., N.Mex., Oreg., Tex., Utah, Wash., Wyo., c Asia, introduced also in South America (Argentina).

Discussion

Sphaerophysa salsula is a state-listed noxious weed in California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington; it is considered eradicated in California (J. M. DiTomaso and E. A. Healy 2007). It can form extensive colonies by its wide-spreading rhizomes. Plants generally occur in saline, sandy, riverine, and lacustrine soils.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.