| Fabaceae |
|---|
Astragalus caspicus BIEB. |
Astragalus L. |
| A. caspicus Bieb., Fl. Taur.-Cauc. 2:204 (1808). Syn: A. cretensis Pall., Astrag. 5, t. 6 (1800) quoad descr. excl. syn. et typ.; A. echinus C. A. Meyer, Enum. PL Cauc. 1266 (1831) non DC. (1802); Tragacantha caspica (Bieb.) Stev. in Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 4:269 (1832); A. leptodendron Fischer in Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 26:345, t. 100, f. 23, 28 (1853). Figure 1, p. 91. Low, cushion-forming shrub. Leaf rachis spiny, to c. 5 cm, straight, densely hairy, becoming glabrous. Leaflets 4-7 mm, elliptic, sometimes mucronulate, densely spreading simple-pubescent, 5-6-paired. Stipules 8-10 mm, ovate-lanceolate, glabrous or white-hairy. Inflorescence lax, elongate, 8-20-flowered; flowers 2-3 per leaf axil. Bracts 4-6 mm, linear-oblong, carinate, sparsely hairy at the apex. Bracteoles absent. Calyx 5-7 mm, densely white-pilose; tube 2-3 mm, glabrous at extreme base; teeth 2-4 mm, linear. Corolla white; standard 9-11 mm, platonychioid. Type: Provenit in Caucasi orientalis subalpinis, Bieberstein (LE). E. Anatolia. C7 Diyarbakir: Karadere nr. Reş, 1585 m, E. S. Brown 527! B9 Van: d. Gürpinar, 1 km from Hasbaşi, 1840 m, Hub.-Mor. 10675! N. Iran, Caucasia. Ir.-Tur. element. Boissier originally placed this species in Sect. Stenonychium but we consider it to belong to Sect. Adi aspastus, on account of its platonychioid standard and because of its close resemblance to such species as A. pseudocaspius in Sect. Adiaspastus. |