Astragalus lentiginosus var. maricopae
Leafl. W. Bot. 4: 140. 1945.
Plants perennial (short-lived), 45–65 cm, herbage green or subglabrescent. Leaves (4–)6–16 cm; leaflets 17–25, blades ovate, broadly oval, oblong-elliptic, or obovate-cordate, (3–)5–22 mm, apex obtuse and apiculate or emarginate. Peduncles 5–14 cm. Racemes loosely 13–30-flowered; axis elongating, (3–)5–20 cm in fruit. Flowers 15–16.5 mm; calyx 7.2–8.6 mm, tube 5.6–6.4 mm, lobes 1.6–2.6 mm; corolla ochroleucous (immaculate). Legumes green becoming stramineous, narrowly oblong- or linear-ellipsoid, not inflated, 20–30 × 3.7–5 mm, bilocular, somewhat fleshy becoming leathery or stiffly papery, glabrous; beak 3–5 mm, unilocular. Seeds 22–26.
Phenology: Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat: Washes, roadsides with Larrea.
Elevation: 300–700 m.
Discussion
Variety maricopae is common in the Cave Creek and Fish Creek areas in Maricopa County. In years with higher rainfall it is weedy in subdivisions where desert vegetation remains intact.
Selected References
None.