11 



2. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Astragalus ceramicus var. 

 apus is a finely strigillose, usually canescent 

 perennial with a deep root and long slender filiform 

 rootstocks, easily mistaken for an annual; stems 1-3 

 dm tall, flexuous and often zigzag; stipules linear- 

 lanceolate, 3-8 mm. long, the lower ones usually very 

 shortly connate, the lower ones free; leaflets mostly 

 lacking, the rachis elongate and flexuous, 5-13 cm. 

 long, occasionally with 1-several linear leaflets 1- 

 3.5 cm. long; racemes 3-10 flowered; peduncles much 

 shorter than the leaves; pedicels 1-3 mm. long; 

 flowers 6-9 mm. long; calyx about 4 mm. long, 

 strigillose, often purplish mottled, the short 

 auricles, little if any longer than the purplish- 

 tipped keel; pod ordinarily stipitate but usually 

 sessile, the body membranous, much inflated, 

 purplish-mottled, oblong-ellipsoid, 2.5-3.5 cm. 

 long, glabrous, l-celled, the lower suture often 

 prominent but only very slightly if at all intruded. 



3. LOCAL FIELD CHARACTERS: Astragalus ceramicus 

 var. apus is easily recognized anytime during or 

 after fruiting by its inflated pods that are purple 

 mottled. The leaflets are long and slender, less 

 than 3 mm wide. 



D. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 



1. RANGE: Astragalus ceramicus var. apus is 



found in sand dunes and prairie lands from central 

 Idaho to southwestern Montana. 



2. CURRENT SITES: Astragalus ceramicus var. apus is 

 found within the sand dune region of Centennial 

 Valley, located on the north side of Red Rock Lakes 

 National Wildlife Refuge. This is the only place it 

 is known from in Montana. 



E. HABITAT 



1. ASSOCIATED VEGETATION: Astragalus ceramicus var. apus 

 is found in blowout area within sand dune regions. It 

 is found in sandy, well drained soils with the 

 following grasses and forbs accounting for 40-50% 

 vegetative cover: 



Artemisia tripartita (threetip sagebrush) 



buckwheat) 

 Cr yptantha fendleri (Fendler cat's eye) 

 Elymus flavescens (sand wildrye) 

 Eriogonum ovalifolium var. nevadense (oval-leaved 



buckwheat) 

 Festuca idahoensis (Idaho fescue) 

 Oenothera pallida var. idahoensis (pale evening 



