Astragalus canadensis var. mortonii (Nutt.) S.Watson
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Authors
Rupert C. Barneby
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Authority
Barneby, Rupert C. 1964. Atlas of North American Astragalus. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 13(2): 597-1188.
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Family
Fabaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
"About the sources and upper branches of the Missouri... [Nathaniel B. Wyeth]."—Holotypus, labeled in Nuttall’s hand "Astragalus *Wyethii. Sources of the Missouri," with Gray’s annotation "published as A. Mortoni," PH! isotypi, BM! and labeled "A. Mortoni
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Synonyms
Astragalus mortoni Nutt.
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Description
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Variety Description - Stems relatively slender, erect, simple, (2.5) 3-7 (9) dm. long; herbage dark green, thinly strigulose, the hairs up to 0.3-0.65 (0.7) mm. long, the inflorescence usually fuscous-pilosulous; stipules 3.5-11 (14) mm. long, the sheathing lower ones not ruptured, persistent; leaves (3) 6-19 (22.5) cm. long, with (9) 13-19 (21) ample, thin-textured leaflets 1-4.5 (5) cm. long; peduncles rather slender, 6-22 cm. long; racemes at full anthesis 2.5-12 cm. long, 2.7-3.5 cm. in diameter, sometimes interrupted toward the base; pedicels in fruit 1.4-2 mm. long; calyx (6.5) 7.4-10.5 (11) mm. long, the tube (5) 5.5-6.7 mm. long, strongly oblique or gibbous at base, (3) 3.4-4.9 mm. in diameter, the teeth (1.5) 2-4.4 mm. long; petals greenish-white or ochroleucous, the banner often margined with lurid purple; banner (12.6) 13.2-16.5 mm. long (4.3) 6-8.2 mm. wide; wings (11.3) 11.7-15.3 mm., the claws (5.2) 5.7-7 mm., the blades (7.3) 7.6-10.5 mm. long, 1.7-2.8 mm. wide; keel (10.4) 10.6-13.1 mm. long, the claws (5) 5.4-6.7 mm., the blades (5.5) 5.7-7.3 mm. long, (2.5) 2.7-3.6 mm. wide; body of the pod (9) 11-20 mm. long, 3-5 mm. in diameter, the beak (3) 3.5-5 mm. long, the septum (2) 2.5-3.4 mm. wide; ovules (16) 18-26.
Distribution and Ecology - Open coniferous forest, thickets in the forest zone, sometimes in deep shade but commonly in glades or openings, in moist or cool acid soils rich in humus, widespread and locally abundant about the north and west affluents of the Columbia River between 3000 and 6800 feet but descending along streams to moist depressions and lake shores in the yellow pine belt as low as 1600 feet, southern British Columbia south through eastern Washington to the Blue and Wallowa Mountains in northeastern Oregon, east through central Idaho and northwestern Montana to Glacier Park and Deer Lodge Valley, extending just over the Divide into the upper Missouri drainage.—Map. No. 75.—June to September, the fruit persisting until snow.
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Discussion
The var. Mortoni is the commonest milk-vetch encountered in the forest belt in the north half of Idaho, northwestern Montana and eastern Washington, and is sometimes abundant over large areas. It is ordinarily a tall, comparatively slender plant, with thin-textured foliage of a dark green color, a more or less fuscous- or black-hairy inflorescence, and flowers varying from greenish-white to cream-color, often suffused with lurid purple. In the past the name has been applied partly or wholly to the next variety in the majority of texts.
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Objects
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Distribution
British Columbia Canada North America| Washington United States of America North America| Oregon United States of America North America| Idaho United States of America North America| Montana United States of America North America|