Herbs acaulescent or subacau­lescent, 4–16 cm, mostly glan­dular (with obvious blond to dark brown glands) and pubescent throughout. Stems erect, unbranched, retrorsely hairy, leaves clustered; pseudoscapes mainly subter­ranean, to 4 cm; cataphylls 0–5 mm, glabrous or pubescent. Leaves palmately 5(or 6)-foliolate; stip­ules usually persistent, sometimes tardily deciduous, lanceolate to elliptic, (4–)7–11 × 2.5–8 mm, glabrate to pubescent; petiole jointed basally, (30–)50–120 mm, retrorse-hairy; petiolules 2–3 mm; leaflet blades abaxially gray-green, adaxially green to yellow-green, cuneate-obovate to orbiculate, (1.5–)2–4 × (0.8–)1.5–3.5 cm, base cuneate, apex broadly acute to rounded or retuse, surfaces glandular and pubescent. Peduncles (2–)4–8(–10) cm, equal to or shorter than subtending petiole, pilose, hairs spreading or spreading-retrorse. Inflorescences disjointing in age at peduncle base, glo­bose to elongate, 1.5–5(–8) cm; rachis 1.5–2.5 cm, nodes 4–6(–10), (2 or)3 flowers per node, internodes to 8 mm; bracts tardily deciduous or persistent, ovate to ellip­tic, 5–12 × 3–7 mm, long-pubescent. Pedicels 2–4(–6) mm. Flowers 10–13 mm; calyx gibbous-campanulate in fruit, 10–12.5 mm abaxially, 10–12 mm adaxially, glandular, pubescent; tube 2.5–4 mm; lobes linear or linear-lanceolate to elliptic, abaxial 7–9 × 2–3 mm, adaxial 4–8 × 1–1.5 mm; corolla mostly purple, banner white to ochroleucous, elliptic to oblanceolate, 9–12 × 6 mm with claw 2–4 mm, wings 10–12 × 2–2.5 mm with claw 4–4.5 mm, keel 8–9 × 2–3 mm with claw 3.5–4.5 mm; filaments 7–8.5 mm; anthers elliptic, 0.3 mm; ovary glabrous or pubescent apically, style glabrous or pubescent proximally. Legumes globose to ovoid, 5–7 × 3.5–5 mm, eglandular, pubescent on adaxial 1/2, beak 1–4 mm, not exserted beyond calyx. Seed red-brown to dark brown or gray-green and black-mottled, ellipsoid to reniform, 4–5 × 3 mm.

Phenology: Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat: Rocky or sandy soils, pine, juniper, or oak woodlands.
Elevation: 700–2000 m.

Distribution

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Ariz., Nev., Utah.

Discussion

The type locality of Pediomelum mephiticum is stated as Beaver City, Utah, which is largely agreed to be erroneous. The type locality is more likely Beaver Dam, Arizona (J. W. Grimes 1990). Pediomelum mephiticum is known from Mohave County in Arizona, Clark and Lincoln counties in Nevada, and Washington County in Utah.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.