Stalkpod Locoweed

Perennial, Herbs, Stems woody below, or from woody crown or caudex, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems very short, acaulescent or subacaulescent, Stems erect or ascending, Stems less than 1 m tall, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules green, triangulate to lanceolate or foliaceous, Stipules persistent, Stipules free, Stipules clasping stem at the base, Stipules adnate to petiole, Leaves compound, Leaves odd pinnate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets opposite, Leaflets 10-many, Leaves hairy on one or both surfaces, Flowers solitary in axils, or appearing solitary, Flowers in axillary clusters or few-floweredracemes, 2-6 flowers, Inflorescences racemes, Inflorescences spikes or spike-like, Inflorescence terminal, Bracts conspicuously present, Bracts hairy, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx hairy, Petals separate, C orolla papilionaceous, Petals clawed, Petals pinkish to rose, Petals blue, lavander to purple, or violet, Banner petal ovoid or obovate, Wing petals narrow, oblanceolate to oblong, Keel abruptly curved, or spirally coiled, 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 exserted from calyx, Fruit enclosed in calyx, Fruit inflated or turgid, Fruit beaked, Fruit hairy, Fruit 11-many seeded, Seeds reniform, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black.

Oxytropis podocarpa is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common names stalkpod locoweed, stalked-pod crazyweed, and Gray's point-vetch. It is native to North America, where it occurs in the northern latitudes, from Yukon and British Columbia across the low arctic to northern Quebec and Labrador. In the Rocky Mountains it occurs at the higher elevations as far south as Colorado.

This plant is a matted, cushion-forming perennial herb with erect or prostrate stems just a few centimeters long. The leaves are up to 5 centimeters long and are each made up of several leaflets. The herbage is coated in silvery gray hairs. The inflorescence is a raceme of one or two purple or blue-violet flowers. Flowering occurs in June. The fruit is a papery, inflated, hairy, black legume pod up to 2.5 centimeters long.

This is a plant of arctic habitat types such as tundra. The northernmost record is from Southampton Island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. To the south in the Rocky Mountains it occurs in alpine climates in meadows and barren mountain habitat. In Colorado it occurs at elevations up to 4030 meters (12,500 feet).