Hedysarum boreale
(Boreal Sweetvetch)
Hedysarum boreale, Pawnee Buttes, Weld Co. 7535
Hedysarum boreale, Pawnee Buttes, Weld Co. 7541
Hedysarum boreale, Pawnee Buttes, Weld Co. 7554
Hedysarum boreale, Pawnee Buttes, Weld Co. 7536
| Scientific Name | Hedysarum boreale | USDA PLANTS Symbol | HEBO |
| Common Name | Boreal Sweetvetch, Utah Sweetvetch, Northern Sweetvetch | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. | 26724 |
| Family | Fabaceae (Pea) | SEINet Reference |
Click Here |
| Description |
Life zones and habitat: Plains to montane (4000 to 9000 ft.); dry, rocky, sandy soilsin open locations. Plant: Erect or spreading perennial 12 to 30 inches tall, stems are simple or with a few branches. Leaves: Alternate, odd-pinnate compound leaves, 2 to 4.3 inches long; 7-15 leaflets, linear-elliptic, oblong, or obovate, 0.4 to 0.8 inches long with rounded tips; surfaces are nearly smooth to sparsely hairy above and hairy (strigose) beneath. Inflorescence: Racemes arising from leaf axils with a few to several blossoms; the corolla is purple-red to pink, sometimes white, the keel is much longer than the wings and the banner is about 1/2 inch long; the calyx has glandular hairs and is 1 to 1-3/8 inches long with teeth longer than the tube; bracts are lanceolate, 1/8 to 1/3-inch long. Bloom Period: May to July. References: "Flora of Colorado" by Jennifer Ackerfield, American Southwest and Montana Field Guide. |
BONAP Distribution Map Map Color Key |
Colorado Status: Native |
© Tom Lebsack 2024
Banner photo: Castilleja rhexifolia and a brewing storm over the San Juan Mountains