Herbs. Stems branched through­out, not rushlike. Leaves usually palmate, rarely pseudo­palmate, persistent through flowering; petiole (0.5–)0.9–2.9 cm; leaflets 3(or 5), blades obovate or oblanceolate to linear, 17–35(–40) × 2–13(–16) mm, base attenuate, apex retuse to acuminate, surfaces glabrate to sparsely pubescent. Peduncles 0.7–12 cm. Inflorescences: rachis 0.5–14 cm, internodes to 1.5 cm, elongating or not in fruit. Flowers: calyx 1.5–2.5 mm; corolla blue to purple, white, or bicolored, 5–7 mm. Legumes conspicuously glandular, sparsely strigose to glabrate. 2n = 22.

Phenology: Flowering early spring–late summer.
Habitat: Aeolian sand dunes, sandsage and sand prairies.
Elevation: 20–1800 m.

Distribution

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Alta., Sask., Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Iowa, Kans., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.Mex., N.Dak., Okla., Oreg., S.Dak., Tex., Utah, Wash., Wyo.

Discussion

Ladeania lanceolata is variable in morphology, which has resulted in the recognition of three to five taxa (P. A. Rydberg 1919; S. L. Welsh et al. 2015). The length of inflorescences, vestiture of pods, and shape of leaflets vary along geographic trendlines throughout its range and seem to grade from one trend to another.

The names Psoralea lanceolata Pursh (1813) and P. elliptica Pursh (1813) have equal priority. However, J. Torrey and A. Gray (1838–1843) placed P. elliptica in synonymy under P. lanceolata, establishing priority of the latter name.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.