Gumbo Milkvetch

Phaca ampullaria (S. Wats.) Rydb. Bull. Torrey Club 40:47. 1913.
Astragalus ampullarius S. Wats. Am. Nat. 7: 300. 1873. Tragacantha ampullaria Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 943. 1891.
Perennial; stem 1-2 dm. high, sparingly strigose; leaves about 5 cm. long, spreading; stipules lanceolate or ovate, 5-7 mm. long, membranous; leaflets 7-11, obovate, rounded or retuse at the apex, 6-10 mm. long, 4—7 mm. wide, cuneate at the base, glabrous above, sparingly strigulose beneath; peduncles 2-5 cm. long; racemes headlike, 8-12-flowered; bracts lanceolate, 2-3 mm. long; pedicels 1-2 mm. long; calyx strigulose with black hairs, the tube 5-6 mm. long, 2-3 mm. wide, the teeth deltoid, 1 mm. long; corolla purple, 17-18 mm. long; banner obovate, notched at the apex; wings 15-16 mm. long, the blade lanceolate, with a large reflexed auricle; keel-petals much shorter, the blade broadly lunate; pod glabrous, long-stipitate, the stipe 1.5-2 cm. long, the body ovoid, 1.5-2 cm. long, 10-12 mm. wide.
Type locality: Kanab, Utah. Distribution: Southern Utah.

Perennial, Herbs, Stems woody below, or from woody crown or caudex, Plants with rhizomes or suckers, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems very short, acaulescent or subacaulescent, Stems prostrate, trailing, or mat forming, Stems less than 1 m tall, Stems solid, Stems or y oung twigs glabrous or sparsely glabrate, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules membranous or chartaceous, Stipules persistent, Stipules connate to each other, forming a tuber or sheath, Leaves compound, Leaves odd pinnate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets opposite, Leaflets 10-many, Leaves hairy on one or both surfaces, Inflorescences racemes, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx glabrous, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals clawed, Petals ochroleucous, cream colored, Petals blue, lavander to purple, or violet, Petals bicolored or with red, purple or yellow streaks or spots, Banner petal narrow or oblanceolate, Wing petals narrow, oblanceolate to oblong, Wing tips obtuse or rounded, Keel petals auriculate, spurred, or gibbous, Keel tips obtuse or rounded, not beaked, Stamens 9-10, Stamens diadelphous, 9 united, 1 free, Filaments glabrous, Style terete, Style persistent in fruit, Fruit a legume, Fruit stipitate, Fruit unilocular, Fruit freely dehiscent, Fruit oblong or ellipsoidal, Fruit or valves persistent on stem, Fruit exserted from calyx, Fruit inflated or turgid, Fruit beaked, Fruit glabrous or glabrate, Fruit 11-many seeded, Seeds cordiform, mit-shaped, notched at one end, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black.