Psoralidium junceum (Eastw.) Rydb.
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Authority
Grimes, J. E. 1990. A revision of the New World species of Psoraleeae (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 61: 1-114.
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Family
Fabaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Perennial herbs to 0.75 m, much branched below, sparingly branched above, green throughout, lightly glandular with sunken blond glands, densely pubescent to sericeous below, pilose above when young, sparingly pubescent with age; stems one to few, arising from the enlarged apex of a deep much-branched woody root to 1 cm diam., below semifistulose, densely glandular and sparingly pilose, with coriaceous, stramineous, often densely sericeous and scarcely glandular cataphylls, the lower ones to 20 mm . Lowermost stipules linear-lanceolate (3-)5-10 x 1-2 mm, the upper ones linear, smaller, all pilose and early becoming stramineous, tardily deciduous. Leaves palmately (1-)3(-5)-foliolate, present on young plants, quickly to tardily deciduous and commonly lacking on mature plants, early leaves often only 1-2-foliolate, missing leaflets then replaced by tufts of hairs; petiole grooved but not deeply canaliculate, to 6.5 cm, the pulvinus constricted, lighter in color; leaflets narrowly to broadly elliptic, 19-35 X 2.5-8 mm, cuneate-attenuate at base, acuminate distally; petiolules 1-2 mm, these densely to lightly sericeous on both surfaces and dorsally glandular. Inflorescence with 3-21 nodes and 1-3 flowers per node; peduncle 2-8 dm; rachis 5-22 cm, internodes usually 0.5-1 cm at anthesis, elongating to 4.5 cm in fruit at lowest nodes; bracts deciduous, ovate-lanceolate, 1-3 x 0.75-1.5 mm, dorsally densely glandular or only so at base, glabrous except for marginal hairs, ventrally scarcely glandular to eglandular, but with scattered hairs on acuminate apex; pedicel pilose, to 2 mm, elongating in fruit. Flowers to 6.5 mm; calyx 3-4 mm, pubescent, glandular, glands larger on tube, this pallid, 1-2 mm, teeth green, triangular, more densely pilose than tube, the two upper and two lateral ones to 1 mm, the dorsal one usually to 2 mm, upper two more rounded and sinus between these two smaller; petals very dark purple, though banner lighter on back; banner elliptic-orbicular and then laterally once or twice emarginate, or rhombic and then entire, 4-6 X 3.5-5 mm , the short, broad claw 1-2.5 mm, the blade apically emarginate, sometimes basally emarginate, often with two almost linear auricles, these without internal callosities; wings 4 -6.5 X 1-2 mm, the claw 2 mm, the auricle to 0.5 mm; keel petals to 5 x 1.5 mm, the broad claw 2 X 1.25 mm; androecium to 3 mm, free filaments filiform, anthers round-elliptic, 0.5 mm; gynoecium to 4 mm, ovary long-pilose with hairs to 1 mm. Fruit deciduous above the receptacle, circular in outline, to 4 x 4 mm, long-pilose and eglandular, apiculate but not beaked, walls relatively thick. Seed round to widely elliptic in outline, to 4 x 4 mm, brown, compressed but not flattened, smooth.
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Discussion
Holotypus CAS! isotypi CAS! H ! MO ! NY!
Distribution and Ecology:
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Distribution
In open sand dunes, on semistabilized sands among desert shrub, on rocky slopes or on salt encmsted mud at 1000-1750 m , often the dominant member of the community. Localized along the Paria, San Juan and Colorado rivers in southeastern Kane and southern San Juan counties, Utah and northern Coconino County, Arizona. Apparently isolated in eastern Garfield Co., Utah. Fl. V-VII. Map, Fig. 15.
San Juan Puerto Rico South America| Colorado United States of America North America|