Plants forming densely to loosely woven mats, 0.8–3(–3.5) dm wide, shortly caulescent, from root-crown when young, from freely branched caudex when older. Stems (of current year) to 8 cm. Leaves 1–4.5(–7) cm; leaflets (3 or)5 or 7(–11), blades usually narrowly to broadly obovate-cuneate, rarely elliptic, 5–12(–15) mm, apex usually obtuse, truncate, or shallowly emarginate, rarely subacute. Racemes (2 or)3–5(–7)-flowered. Flowers (4–)5–6.6 mm wide; calyx short-cylindric or deeply campanulate, (5.5–)6–9 mm, tube (4–)4.5–6.7 mm, lobes (1–)1.4–3 mm; corolla pink-purple; banner 9–13.2 mm; keel 8–11.3 mm. Legumes strongly incurved through 0.5–1 spiral, ovoid or lanceoloid-ellipsoid, openly and shal­lowly sulcate dorsally in proximal 1/2, 7–17 × 3.8–5(–7) mm, densely shaggy-villous, hairs to 1.8–2.8 mm. Seeds 14–20.

Phenology: Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat: On pumice sand with sagebrush, in dry rushy meadows around lakeshores.
Elevation: 800–1300 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Calif., Idaho, Nev., Oreg.

Discussion

Variety lagopinus occurs from northeastern California to central Oregon, southwestern Idaho, and northwestern Nevada.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.