| Fabaceae |
|---|
Oxytropis albana STEV. |
Oxytropis DC. |
| O. albana Stev. in Nouv. Mem. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 4:54 (1813). Syn: O. cyanea Bieb., Fl. Taur.-Cauc. 3:502 (1819); O. samurensis Boiss., Fl. Or. 2:504 (1872); O. kasbeckii Boiss., I.e. 506. Ic: Grossh., Fl. Kavk. 5: t. 36, f. 1 (1952) as O. cyanea. Acaulous prostrate perennial, with a thick branched woody rootstock. Leaves with 6-13 pairs of leaflets, 1.5-7 cm, including petiole ±equalling rachis; leaflets linear-oblong to oblong-ovate, 2-8 x 0.5-3 mm, with a sparse indumentum of spreading long hairs. Scapes prostrate or ascending, 5-20 cm. Inflorescence capitate, 5-7-flowered, ± dense. Calyx 4.5-6 mm, teeth shorter than tube, with short adpressed hairs. Corolla violet to reddish-purple; standard 10-14 mm; wings 10-13 mm; keel 7.5-10 mm, including a 0.5-2 mm beak. Legume c. 18 x5 mm, stipitate, oblong, with short ± adpressed hairs. Fl. 7. Alpine meadows, screes, 2500-3500 m. Type: [USSR Caucasus] in Caucaso orientali supra Chinalug, Steven (holo H!). Inner & N.E. Anatolia, scattered. A7 Gümüşane: Karaköl Da., 2750 m, Sint. 1894:7150! A7/A8 Trabzon: Mesourach Da., 2500 m, Balls 448! A9 Kars: nr. Kars (Grossheim 5: map 418). B5 Kayseri: Erciyas Da., 3200 m, Bal. 168! B1O Ağri/Kars: Little Ararat, Küp-göl, Kapudschich and Iohe Pass, 3050-3500 m, Radde. Caucasia. There is much variation in leaf size in this species. The two extremes are represented on one hand by the specimens with very short leaves and very small leaflets from Erciyas Da., and, on the other, by the Caucasian specimens with long leaves and large leaflets. All intermediates occur throughout the range of the species. |