内蒙古棘豆 nei meng gu ji dou

Herbs, 3-9 cm tall, acaulescent, from a simple or multi­headed caudex, with a thatch of marcescent leaf bases. Stipules narrowly triangular, ca. 4 × 2-3 mm, membranous, whitish vil­lous, basally connate. Leaves 3-6.5 cm, 1-foliolate; petiole 2-5 cm; leaflet blade lanceolate to elliptic, ca. 3.2 × 0.6-0.8 cm, densely whitish sericeous. Racemes 1- or 2-flowered; peduncle 1-2 cm, shorter than leaves, whitish villous with long tri­chomes; bracts triangular, ca. 3 × 1 mm, whitish villous with long trichomes. Calyx cylindric, 10-15 × ca. 4 mm, with appressed long whitish trichomes and sometimes also with blackish short trichomes; lobes subulate, 2-3 × ca. 0.5 mm. Corolla light yellow, yellow, yellowish green, red, whitish green, or white; standard 1.9-2.1 cm, lamina spatulate and ca. 1.4 × 0.7 cm, apex entire or 2-lobed; wings ca. 1.6 cm, lamina obovate; keel ca. 1.4 cm, beak ca. 0.5 mm. Ovary pubescent. Legume sessile, spherical-ovoid, 1.5-2 × 0.8-1 cm, inflated, densely whitish villous, apex abruptly beaked. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Jul-Aug.

● Sunny slopes, grasslands, N-facing slopes, Stipa community on dry desertic prairie; 1000-2200 m. Nei Mongol.