密叶棘豆 mi ye ji dou

Herbs, 10-17 cm tall, caulescent, arising from a multi­headed caudex. Stems erect to spreading, with 2-4 or more apparent internodes, with many branches, with spreading dense white and black trichomes. Stipules lanceolate, 6-10 mm, thinly membranous, with sparse to dense white long trichomes, free from petiole, basally connate. Leaves (4-)5-6 cm, densely 21-33-foliolate; petiole and rachis with spreading long trichomes; leaflet blades oblong, narrowly oblong, oblong-lanceolate, or ovate-lanceolate, (6-)7-10 × 3-5 mm, abaxially with dense tri­chomes, adaxially with spreading sparse to dense white long tri­chomes. Racemes oblong, many flowered; peduncle ca. 6 cm, almost as long as leaves, with spreading dense white or mixed black and white trichomes. Calyx campanulate, 5-7 mm, with black and white long trichomes; lobes linear, slightly shorter than to ca. 1/2 as long as tube. Corolla bluish purple to purple; standard 1-1.2 cm, lamina orbicular to broadly ovate-rhombic, apex emarginate; wings narrowly oblong, 9-10 mm, slightly concave, apex rounded; keel shorter than wings, beak 0.5-0.7 mm. Legume stipitate; stipe equaling calyx tube; body oblong-cylindric or broadly oblong, ca. 1 cm or 1.5-1.7 cm, ca. 3 mm wide, pendulous, adaxial suture grooved, with dense white and black short trichomes, septum narrow. Fl. and fr. Aug.

● Slopes, grasslands; 3200-4000 m. Gansu, Xizang.

This species was misspelled as "Oxytropis densifolia" in FRPS (42(2): 102. 1998).

Lower Taxa

• Oxytropis densiflora var. densiflora
• Oxytropis densiflora var. multiramosa (P. C. Li) X. Y. Zhu & H. Ohashi