Astragalus cimae var. cimae

Mesas and stony hillsides, in stiff, calcareous clay soils, commonly among or sheltering under sagebrush, 4700-6000 feet, very local but forming colonies, known only from the New York Mountains, the Mid Hills, and the northern end of the Providence Mountains, eastern San Bernardino County, California.—Map No. 60.—April and May.

Astragalus cimae (of Cima) Jones, Rev. Astrag. 163, Pl. 38. 1923 ("Cimae," or in indices to text and plates "cimensis," the first, associated with the description, preferable).— "Collected by Mrs. Brandegee at Cima on the edge of Nevada near the Charleston Mts. 1915." —Holotypus, dated "June, 1915" and attributed to T. S. Brandegee, POM! isotypi, UC-JEPS (K. Brandegee), UC (T. S. & K. Brandegee)! The spm. at GH, dated "May 5, 1917" and attributed to K. Brandegee is perhaps another isotypus.—Phacomene cimae (Jones) Rydb. in N. Amer. Fl. 24: 384. 1929.

The Cima milk-vetch is easily recognized in the eastern Mohave Desert by its diffuse, glabrous stems, thick-textured foliage of a pallid glaucescent green, bicolored flowers of moderate size, and clavately stipitate, obcompressed, bilocular pod of fleshy or at length almost woody texture. The pale lilac or white wing-tips and pallid, flabellately purple-veined lozenge on the banner form a pleasing contrast with the vinous-purple hue of the other petals, a characteristic shade which turns violet in the press. The pod’s curvature is always pronounced but quite variable. It may be abruptly bent inward near the junction of body and stipe and moderately incurved thereafter; or strongly incurved throughout; or sometimes nearly straight at both ends, but abruptly and strongly hooked near the middle.

Cima, the supposed type-locality, is a railroad halt on the desert floor at the north foot of the New York Range, at an elevation of about 4250 feet. It is probable that the type- collection really came from the sagebrush plateau in the mountains several miles to the south.