Plants prostrate, cushion-forming, 5–40(–50) cm wide. Stems and herbage densely to sparsely strigulose, villosulous, or villous, hairs basifixed. Leaves (0.2–)0.4–1.5(–2) cm; stipules 2–7 mm; leaflets (3 or)5–9, blades 1–9 mm, surfaces pubescent or adaxially glabrous or medially glabrescent. Peduncles 0–1.5(–3) cm. Flowers (3.9–)4.5–8(–9.2) mm; calyx (2–)2.4–5.7(–7) mm, tube 1.2–2.6(–2.8) mm, lobes subulate to setaceous, (0.5–)1.9–2.6(–4.2) mm; corolla usually purple or purplish, sometimes white and keel tip pink or purplish. Legumes ellipsoid or oblong-ellipsoid, (3–)4–8(–9) × (0.6–)2–2.5 mm. Seeds (3–)5–8. 2n = 24.

Phenology: Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat: Ridgetops, breaks, alpine shrub and tundra with Phlox, Geum rossii, other forbs, grasses, less commonly with shrubs and trees, often in barrens.
Elevation: 2000–3700 m.

Distribution

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Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., N.Mex., Oreg., Utah, Wyo.

Discussion

The moderately large, usually purplish flowers borne just above the mat of foliage set var. tegetarius apart and make it one of the showiest phases of the species.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.