Oxytropis lambertii var. lambertii Pursh
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TAXONOMY
 
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Oxytropis
 
Species Synonyms: Oxytropis involuta (A. Nels.) K. Schum.
Common Names: purple locoweed
Lambert’s locoweed
 
DISTRIBUTION
 
Canada: southeastern Saskatchewan – southern Manitoba
Saskatchewan: southeastern Saskatchewan; Souris and Antler River Valleys
Ecoregion: Moist Mixed Grassland, Aspen Parkland
 
HABITAT
 
Saskatchewan: gravely prairie slopes and summits or river bluffs
Associaterd species: Artemisia frigida, Astragalus agrestis, Heterotheca villosa, Nasella viridula, Phlox hoodii, Poa pratensis
 
RARITY STATUS
 
Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):
Vulnerable
Nature Conservancy Status:
G5 S2
Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:
None
COSEWIC Status:
None
 
Oxytropis lambertii var. lambertii is vulnerable in Saskatchewan because it is rare or uncommon and is restricted to a small region of the province. Local population sizes vary and possible threats have been identified for this species.
 
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
 
Roots: taproots stout
Stems: caudex knobby or branching; acaulescent
Stipules: adnate for more than 4 mm
Leaves: odd-pinnate, strongly dimorphic, principal leaves 10 – 17 cm long, pubescence dolabriform, hairs pilose to villous
Leaflets: 7 – 19, 0.5 – 4 cm long, linear to elliptic, acute or short acuminate
Inflorescence: raceme 10 – 20-flowered, flowers spreading to erect; scape erect, 5 – 30 cm long
Flowers: calyx tube 6 – 7 mm long, pilose, occasionally with blackish hairs; corolla reddish-purple; banner 15 – 25 mm long; wings 12 – 20 mm long, apex truncate; keel 13 – 19 mm long
Fruits: legume sessile or short-stipitate, 8 – 15 mm long, ovoid, beak straight to divergent, silky-strigose; seeds 2 mm long, brown, smooth
 
OXYTROPIS KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN
 
1 Leaflets fascicled, appearing whorled
O. splendens
1 Leaflets opposite or subopposite
2
   
2 Plants caulescent (with one or more nodes); flowers and pods reflexed
O. deflexa var. sericea
2 Plants acaulescent, scapose; flowers and pods ascending to erect
3
   
3 Corolla white, ochroleucus, or yellow
4
3 Corolla purplish or blue
5
 
4 Leaflets densely silky pilose, < 15; keel 15 – 20 mm long; pods coriaceous
O. campestris var. spicata
4 Leaflets sparsely pilose, > 15; keel 11 – 15 mm long; pods chartaceous
O. monticola
 
5 Pubescence dolabriform
O. lambertii var. lambertii
5 Pubescence not dolabriform
6
 
6 Leaves strongly dimorphic; calyx pubescence not shaggy; corolla blue or purple
O. campestris var. dispar
6 Leaves not dimorphic; calyx pubescence quite shaggy; corolla bright pink-purple, may dry blue
O. besseyi var. besseyi