Plants 4–86 cm, herbage silky-pilose, hairs subappressed, often becoming green and glabrate. Leaves 4–26 cm; stipules glabrous or sparsely pilose abaxially, margins ciliate; leaflets 15–29, opposite or subopposite, blades 3–29 mm. Peduncles erect, (4–)8–36 cm, axis 1.5–9(–11) cm in fruit. Racemes 7–12(–14)-flowered. Calyces: tube 5–6 mm, lobes usually lanceolate, (1–)2–3 mm. Corollas usually purple, rarely white, 12–18.5 mm. Legumes 14–27 × 5–9 mm. 2n = 48.

Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Rock outcrops, islands, gravel bars.
Elevation: 10–400 m.

Distribution

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N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., Ont., Que., Maine.

Discussion

Plants of var. johannensis from south of James Bay, Ontario, have fasciculate leaves and relatively short fruits; the latter characteristic indicates a close relation­ship to var. chartacea. Some specimens appear to be tran­sitional to Oxytropis splendens. The Pan-Arctic Flora (http://panarcticflora.org/) treats var. johannensis as a synonym of O. terrae-novae.

Variety johannensis is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.