181 
oblique at. base and fleshy, rather unequally inserted, nigrescent, 
Peduneles 1-2 dm. long, longer than the leaves, erect in fruit, often 
decumbent in flower. Leaves 5-8 cm. long, numerous at the crown, 
narrow, with petiole half to a third the whole. Leaflets 3-6 pairs, 
broadly linear to elliptical, or even some oval-obtuse, thick, most of 
them narrow, 3-10 mm. long. Stems with 2-3 slender internodes 2-5 
em. long, flexuous, prostrate, at length nearly erect, rather caespitose 
and tufted from a woody root. Often 2-3 dm. long. From Reno to Pal- 
isade and possibly Hawthorne, Nevada and vicinity to the Blue Mts. 
Oregon, growing in sagebrush and among Atriplex confertifolia on 
plains and slopes. Middle and upper part of the Lower Temperate 
life zone, blóoming in late spring. Reported probably erroneously 
from Panaca, Nevada. The relationship of this species to A. atratus 
is very close in some forms and they. nearly always grow together er 
near by. ; 
138. Astragalus atratus Watson Bot. King 69 t. 11 (1871). Hamosa 
Rydberg. A. atratus var. stenophyllus Jones, var. arctus Sheldon. Pods 
from base to tip more narrowed at base and distinctly stipitate in the 
calyx pendent at the end of an ascending or slightly reflexed pedicel, 
2-2.5 cm, long, rarely 3 mm. high or wide, chartaceous, sulcate dorsally 
shortly acuriinate, dinear, about as in A. obscurus and septum as vari- 
able. Flowers whitish or dull-purple, about as in A. obscurus, but ban- 
ner notched, about 1 cm. long, oval, arched abruptly to 60°-90° at calyx 
tips. Wings 2-lobed in the type, narrowly oblong, arched, longer than 
the keel. Keel strongly arched from the base, about 3 mm. long, the 
tip erect and tapering-acute snd little produced, Calyx long-cam- 
panulate, nigrescent, rather hyaline, narrowed below, about 3 mm. long, 
2 mm. high, not gibbous, reflexed or spreading, thrice as long as the sub- 
ulate to triangular teeth. Fruiting pedicels 4-6 mm. long, very slender, 
often twisted very much longer than bracts. Racemes elongated, 5-10 
flowered. Peduncles often a foot long and the rachis as much mere, 
tapering and strict. Leaves rarely 1 dm. long, with 3-7 pairs of (in 
the type) nearly filiform acute leaflets scattered or even absent on the 
upper leaves, 2-15 mm. long. Pubescence ashy and minute. Stems 
‘very slender, with one to few slender internodes, rather many and 
tufted from the woody base, decumbent. This is the common form grow- 
ing in the open. From Palisade, Nevada to Reno and probably south- 
ward to Death Valley, northward to the Snake river from Glenn’s 
Ferry westward but not in the lower Columbia Basin proper. Grow- 
ing in the sagebrush in gravelly soil in valleys and low slopes. Lower 
Temperate life zone. Blooms in May. The plants reported from 
Pine Valley, Mts. Utah by Parry are A. straturensis, The spectes as 
described and figured by Watson in King's Report is misleading. The 
basis of the type is the material from the Toyabe and Pah Ute Mts. 
Nevada, but the figure represents what the artist thought the species _ 
was and not. what it was, no such leaves are found on any specimens, 
and are an invention of the artist to represent what he thought the 
plant would be when fresh. This caused the writer to err in deserib- 
ing the var. stenophyllus as he took the figure to represent the species. 
Nelson’s plant is the most slender and ramulose lorin. The lobing of 
wings is very variable. : 
Astragalus atratus var. phyllophorus Jones Cont. 10 62 (1902). 
This is the normal well developed form of the species growing in moist . 
soil. Pöds abruptly acute and apiculate, about 3 mm. wide, inclined to ` 
he a little wider above, nearly round in cross section, appearing a 
trifle inflated. Wings about twice as long as keel and much wider 
above and rather deeply lobed, as long as banner. Flowers fully 1 cin. 
long. Keel tip incurved 100° and tip deltoid. Calyx 4 mm. long, barely _ 
gibbous, narrowed below, teeth broadly triangular, shout one-quarter.. 
as long as tube. Pedicels 4 mm. long, three-fourths times the bracts. 
Peduncles rarely over 1 dm. long. Leaves 2-7 cm. iuug. Leuneu re- 
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