Astragalus bisulcatus
 
Two-Grooved Milk-Vetch

Flower Top

Nicolle Flats
18-June-2012

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Bisulcatus: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this species. 
bulletstems evident, erect or decumbent, often branched and leafy; NOT [plants densely caespitose or pulvinate; leaves many, crowded; flowers often included among leaves or barely exceeding them], NOT [plants low, cushion-like, matted or straggling]
bulletplants up to 60 cm high; NOT [plants low, to 30 cm high]
bulletplants lacking malpighian hairs
bulletstem lacking black hairs; NOT [stem generally black hairy]
bulletleaves not needle-like; NOT [leaves needle-like, about 10 mm long, 1mm wide, distinctly spine-tipped]
bulletinflorescence an elongated raceme, not head-like; NOT [inflorescence a short, head-like raceme, about as long as wide]
bulletflowers in a dense raceme; NOT [flowers in a loose, open raceme]
bulletraceme spike-like
bulletraceme 4-15 cm long
bulletraceme much exceeding the leaves
bulletflowers spreading or reflexed
bulletsome flowers pendent; NOT [flowers all erect]
bulletflowers 12-30 mm long; NOT [flowers 5-12 mm long]
bulletflowers reddish, purple or blue; NOT [flowers white, yellow, or greenish], NOT [flowers brick red]
bulletpods reflexed; NOT [pods all erect]
bulletpod with two deep grooves on upper side; NOT [pod lacking grooves]
bulletpods not inflated; NOT [pods strongly inflated]
bulletpods glabrous; NOT [pods generally black hairy]

 

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Astragalus: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus. 
bulletherbs; NOT [shrubs]
bulletplants NOT climbing
bulletleafy stems often present; NOT [leafy stems usually absent]
bulletthe terminal leaflet normal; NOT [the terminal leaflet replaced by a tendril]
bulletleaflets more than 3; NOT [leaflets 3 (rarely 1)]
bulletleaves pinnate; NOT [leaves palmate]
bulletleaves NOT glandular-dotted
bulletkeel not truncate; NOT [keel mostly truncate]
bulletkeel rounded or obtuse at the tip; NOT [keel with a sharp point at the tip]
bulletpods NOT segmented or jointed; NOT [pods segmented or jointed, breaking up at maturity]
bulletNOT [flowers pinkish to red or purple; calyx-lobes subulate, much longer than the tube; fruit only slightly longer than wide, with short, stout spines, 1-seeded]
bulletNOT [inflorescence umbel-like; flowers yellow; leaflets 5, pinnately arranged (the lower pair basal and resembling stipules)]

 

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Leguminosae: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora  leading to this family. 
bulletherbs; NOT [shrubs or trees]
bulletplants terrestrial or semi-aquatic; NOT [plants aquatic, leaves submerged or floating]
bulletplants NOT with colored milky juice
bulletplants with more than one normal leaf
bulletsome or all leaves alternate; NOT [leaves opposite, whorled, or basal]
bulletleaves with stipules; NOT [leaves without stipules, or having glands]
bulletflowers with two floral rings, and with each petal distinct from the others]
bulletcalyx regular; NOT [calyx irregular, some sepals smaller than others]
bulletflowers irregular in shape; NOT [flowers regular in shape]
bulletcorolla pea-like; NOT [corolla with one petal spurred or sac-like]
bulletstamens usually separate or partly so, not in a column; NOT [stamens numerous, united into a column]
bulletfruit a legume; NOT [fruit a 3-valved capsule]