Astragalus tiehmii

Plants 4–15+ cm, 1–3.5(–4.5) dm wide, gray-pilosulous; from branched caudex. Stems pros­trate, gray-pilosulous. Leaves 0.8–2.6 cm; stipules distinct, 1–2.5 mm; leaflets 7 or 9, blades folded, obovate-cuneate, 2–6 mm, apex emarginate, surfaces pilosulous. Peduncles 0.3–0.7 cm, often paired at a node. Racemes (3 or)4–7(or 8)-flowered, flowers declined; axis 0.3–1 cm in fruit; bracts 0.5–1.2 mm; bracteoles 0. Pedicels 0.8–1.8 mm. Flowers 4.8–5.3 mm; calyx obconic-campanulate, 3.6–4.2 mm, white-pilosulous, tube 1.3–1.8 mm, lobes slenderly subulate, 1.3–1.8 mm; corolla whitish, banner tinged or veins faint lilac; banner recurved through 90°; keel 3.3–3.6 mm, apex obtuse. Legumes spreading-declined, lunately ellipsoid-obovoid, laterally com­pressed, somewhat depressed but not grooved dorsally, lateral faces with shallow longitudinal groove, 4.5–5 × 2–2.5 mm, unilocular, sparsely pilosulous. Seeds 2 or 3.

Phenology: Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat: White volcanic ash deposits.
Elevation: 1600–1800 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Nev.

Discussion

Astragalus tiehmii is diminutive in all its parts, appearing as a small A. pulsiferae, but it is essentially similar, and probably more closely allied, to A. tegetarioides. R. C. Barneby (1984), however, con­sidered its kinship with the former. It is known from the western side of the Black Rock Desert in Washoe County.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.