92. CARAGANA Fabricius, Enum. (ed. 2) 421. 1763. [Draft]
锦鸡儿属 jin ji er shu
Liu Yingxin (刘媖心 Liou Yingxin, Liu Ying-hsin)1, Chang Zhaoyang (常朝阳)2; Gennady Pavlovich Yakovlev3
Shrubs or very rarely small trees. Stipules small, caducous or persistent and spinelike. Leaves even-pinnate or rachis reduced and leaves apparently digitate, with 4 to 20 leaflets; petiole and rachis persistent or caducous, when persistent often becoming woody and spinelike; leaflet blades with margin entire, apex often cuspidate. Flowers axillary, usually solitary but sometimes 2--5 in a fascicle. Pedicel articulate; bracteoles absent or 1 to many. Calyx tube tubular or campanulate, with 5 teeth, 2 adaxial teeth usually smaller, base saccate or not. Corolla yellow, rarely purple, pinkish, or white; standard sometimes pale yellow or orangish red; wings and keel often auriculate. Stamens diadelphous. Ovary subsessile, rarely with a distinct gynophore; ovules many. Legume cylindric or compressed, sessile or rarely stipitate.
About 100 species: temperate Asia, E Europe; 65 species (31 endemic) in China.
Planted as ornamental, for soil and water conservation, as a for hedge row, for fuels, and for sand dune stabilization.
1a. Leaves digitate, with 4 leaflets.
2a. Leaves on short branchlets subsessile; calyx tube 4--7 mm; claw of corolla wings shorter than limb.
3a. Branches yellowish white, yellow, or golden yellow.
4a. Ovary glabrous; legume 3--3.5 cm, glabrous .............................................................. 42. C. leucophloea
4b. Ovary densely pubescent; legume 2--3 cm, pubescent when young but glabrescent 43. C. pygmaea
3b. Branches whitish green, grayish green, yellowish green, dark gray, greenish brown, yellowish brown, brown, or dark brown.
5a. Leaflet blades narrowly obovate to oblanceolate, 2--3 mm broad; auricle of corolla wings 1/5--1/4 as long as claw ............................................................................................................................. 44. C. altaica
5b. Leaflet blades lanceolate, lanceolate-linear, or linear, 0.5--2 mm broad; auricle of corolla wings longer.
6a. Leaflet blades falcate; legume 2.5--4 cm ................................................................. 45. C. aurantiaca
6b. Leaflet blades straight; legume 2--2.5 cm.
7a. Leaflet blades dark green but abaxially tinged ± reddish; auricle of corolla wings 2/3 as long as claw ...................................................................................................................... 46. C. pumila
7b. Leaflet blades green to grayish green; auricle of corolla wings 1/4--1/2 as long as claw.
8a. Corolla 1.1--1.2 cm; pedicel ca. 5 mm, articulate basally; stipule spines 1--4 mm on long branchlets ................................................................................................... 47. C. versicolor
8b. Corolla 0.8--1.8(--2) cm; pedicel 5--10 mm, articulate slightly basally from middle; stipule spines 4--7 mm on long branchlets ....................................................... 48 C. stenophylla
2b. Leaves on short branchlets petiolate (but as short as 1 mm in some species and absent in C. kirghisorum); calyx tube 6--13 mm; claw of corolla wings as long or shorter than limb.
9a. Calyx tube saccate or gibbous.
10a. Corolla 2.7--3.2 cm; calyx tubes 1.2--1.3 cm ............................................................... 49. C. kirghisorum
10b. Corolla 2--2.5(--2.8) cm; calyx tube 0.6--1.1 cm.
11a. Leaflet blade apices acute.
12a. Pedicel 2--5 mm, articulate basally; leaflet blades oblanceolate ............. 50. C. brachypoda
12b. Pedicel 5--12 mm, articulate apically; leaflets blades linear-oblanceolate 51. C. kansuensis
11b. Leaflet blade apices rounded, truncate, or emarginate.
13a. Legume densely villous; corolla 2.5--2.8 cm; standard obovate-oblong ...... 52. C. leveillei
13b. Legume glabrous; corolla 2--2.5 cm; standard broadly obovate ................... 53. C. opulens
9b. Calyx tube not or only slightly enlarged (but gibbous in C. camilli-schneideri).
14a. Corolla pinkish to reddish at least when wilted; standard oblong-obovate ..................... 54. C. rosea
14b. Corolla yellow (but some species with an orange spot in middle of standard and some reddish yellow inside); standard broader (obovate, broadly obovate, ovate, broadly ovate, suborbicular, or orbicular).
15a. Young ovary or young ovary and young legume pubescent.
16a. Corolla 1.5--1.8 cm; auricle of corolla wings 1/2--2/3 as long as claw .... 55. C. qingheensis
16b. Corolla 2--3.1 cm; auricle of corolla wings 1/3--2/5 as long as claw.
17a. Corolla 2.8--3.1 cm ....................................................................... 56. C. camilli-schneideri
17b. Corolla 2--2.2 cm.
18a. Pedicel 2--6 mm ............................................................................... 59. C. polourensis
18b. Pedicel 6--20 mm.
19a. Leaflet blades obovate to oblanceolate, both surfaces densely pubescent ... 57. C. licentiana
19b. Leaflet blades obovate-cuneate, only abaxial surface sparsely pubescent 58. C. shensiensis
15b. Ovary and legume glabrous (ovary rarely with trichomes in C. laeta).
20a. Corolla 2.6--3.5 cm ...................................................................................................... 64. C. laeta
20b. Corolla 1.3--2.3 cm.
21a. Corolla standard suborbicular; pedicel 9--21 mm ......................................... 65. C. frutex
21b. Corolla standard obovate, broadly obovate, or broadly ovate; pedicel 2--8 mm.
22a. Legume 1--2.5(--3.5) cm; corolla 1.4--1.6 cm ................................... 60. C. brevifolia
22b. Legume 3--4.5 cm; corolla 1.6--2.3 cm.
23a. Auricle of corolla wings nearly as long as claw; standard broadly obovate, apex emarginate .................................................................. 61. C. chinghaiensis
23b. Auricle of corolla wings 1/5--1/3 as long as claw; standard ovate or obovate, apex obtuse.
24a. Leaflets 6--13 mm; legume 3--4 mm in diam. .......................... 62. C. densa
24b. Leaflets 4--6 mm; legume 4--6 mm in diam. ................... 63. C. turfanensis
1b. Leaves all pinnate or only pinnate on long branchlets and digitate on short branchlets, with 4--20 leaflets.
25a. All leaves with 4 leaflets.
26a. Leaflets on long branchlets pinnate but on short branchlets sessile and digitate; claw of corolla wings ca. 1/3 as long as limb, auricle ± as long as claw ........................................................................ 1. C. dasyphylla
26b. Leaflets long and short branches pinnate or sometimes digitate or only on short branches sometimes digitate; claw of corolla wings ca. 1/2 as long as limb, auricle short and obtuse.
27a. Corolla 2.8--3 cm; calyx tube 1.2--1.4 cm; apical pair of leaflets larger than others ........... 2. C. sinica
27b. Corolla 2.2--2.5 cm; calyx tube 0.6--0.8 cm; leaflets all of equal size .......................... 3. C. ussuriensis
25b. Leaves with 4--20 leaflets (at least some leaves on plant with more than 4 leaflets).
28a. Short branchlets with digitate or pinnate leaves and 4 leaflets per leaf, long branchlets with pinnate leaves and 4--8 leaflets per leaf.
29a. Old branches yellow; legume densely villous ..................................................... 4. C. tragacanthoides
29b. Old branches yellowish brown, reddish brown, greenish brown; legume glabrous or pilose.
30a. Leaflet blades 1.5--2(--3) cm ........................................................................................... 5. C. spinosa
30b. Leaflets blades 0.3--1.2 cm.
31a. Flowers solitary or 2 to 3 in a fascicle; calyx tube 1--1.3 cm; corolla standard suborbicular 6. C. pruinosa
31b. Flowers solitary or to 4 in a fascicle; calyx tube 0.8--1 cm; corolla standard broadly ovate to oblong-obovate ..................................................................................................... 7. C. erinacea
28b. All branches with pinnate leaves and 4--18 leaflets per leaf.
32a. Petiole and rachis caducous (only often caducous in C. boisii, rarely persistent in C. turkestanica, persistent on long branchlets in C. intermedia).
33a. Calyx tube campanulate (campanulate-tubular in C. zahlbruckneri, tubular to broadly campanulate in C. manshurica), length and width nearly equal; leaflet blades often longer than 1 cm.
34a. Flowers usually in pairs on a pedicel, rarely solitary; leaves with 4--8 leaflets; ovary sericeous .......................................................................................................... 26. C. soongorica
34b. Flowers solitary (or paired in C. zahlbrucneri, rarely paired in C. fruticosa and C. manshurica, to 3 in C. boisii, to 5 in C. arborescens); leaves with 8--20 leaflets; ovary pubescent or glabrous (densely sericeous in C. stipitata).
35a. Ovary and legume stipitate ......................................................................... 27. C. stipitata
35b. Ovary and legume not stipitate.
36a. Pedicel 0.8--1.5 cm.
37a. Leaves with 10--18 leaflets; current year branchlets reddish brown; corolla 2.3--2.5 cm ............................................................................ 28. C. zahlbruckneri
37b. Leaves with 8--12 leaflets; current year branchlets greenish brown; corolla 1.6--1.9 cm ..................................................................................... 29. C. fruticosa
36b. Pedicel 1--5 cm.
38a. Flowers solitary or 2--5 in a fascicle.
39a. Corolla 1.6--2 cm; spinelike stipules 5--10 mm ........... 30. C. arborescens
39b. Corolla 2--2.5 cm; spinelike stipules 8--15 mm ...................... 31. C. boisii
38b. Flowers solitary (rarely paired in C. manshurica).
40a. Leaves with 10--20 leaflets; limb of corolla keel ± cuneate ............. 32. C. manshurica
40b. Leaves with 6--10 leaflets; limb of corolla keel not cuneate ........... 33. C. turkestanica
33b. Calyx tube campanulate or tubular, length longer than width; leaflet blades often shorter than 1 cm.
41a. Ovary and legume stipitate.
42a. Legume falcately curved; old branches brown and glaucous; leaflets, pedicels, and current year branchlets with dense trichomes, not glabrescent, glaucous ......... 34. C. davazamcii
42b. Legume straight; old branches bright yellow and not glaucous; leaflets, pedicels, and current year branchlets pubescent, glabrescent, not glaucous ........... 35. C. purdomii
41b. Ovary and legume not stipitate.
43a. Ovary and legume densely pubescent .................................................. 36. C. pekinensis
43b. Ovary and legume glabrous, rarely sparsely pubescent.
44a. Spinelike stipules 10--13 mm; claw of corolla wings ca. 1/3 as long as limb; leaflet blades glabrous ................................................................................. 37. C. litwinowii
44b. Spinelike stipules 1.5--7 mm; claw of corolla wings ca. 1/2 as long to almost as long as limb; leaflet blades with trichomes (sometimes glabrous in C. microphylla).
45a. Leaflet blades obovate, obovate-oblong, or rarely almost elliptic, apex obtuse, truncate, or emarginate; legume cylindric, 4--5 cm X 4--5 mm.
46a. Stipules usually obliquely erect; leaflet blades obovate to obovate-oblong, apex obtuse to truncate; ovary often glabrous . 38. C. microphylla
46b. Stipules ± deflected hooklike; leaflet blades obovate to rarely almost elliptic, apex emarginate; ovary sparsely appressed pubescent ... 39. C. potaninii
45b. Leaflet blades lanceolate to narrowly oblong or elliptic to obovate-elliptic, apex acute, obtuse, rounded, or rarely truncate; legume lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 2--3.5 cm X 5--7 mm.
47a. Legume 2.5--3.5 cm X 5--6 mm; leaflet blades whitish green, both surfaces villous ...................................................................................... 40. C. liouana
47b. Legume 2--2.5 cm X 6--7 mm; leaflet blades whitish, both surfaces densely appressed sericeous ........................................ 41. C. korshinskii
32b. Petiole and rachis persistent and spinelike at least on long branchlets.
48a. Spinelike petiole and rachis persistent on long branchlets but caducous on short branchlets.
49a. Leaves with 4--10 leaflets ........................................................................... 8. C. acanthophylla
49b. Leaves with 8--18 leaflets.
50a. Leaflet blades obovate-lanceolate, apex acuminate; calyx tube 1--1.5 cm ............. 9. C. crassispina
50b. Leaflet blades obovate-oblong, oblong, or elliptic, apex obtuse or acute; calyx tube 0.8--1.2 cm.
51a. Leaflet blade apices obtuse to acute; flowers solitary or in pairs apically from articulation with peduncle; calyx tube dark brown; corolla standard emarginate at apex; wings with 1 auricle ..................................................................... 10. C. bicolor
51b. Leaflet blade apices obtuse; flowers solitary; calyx tube yellowish brown; corolla standard either slightly emarginate or not at apex; wings with 2 auricles ... 11. C. franchetiana
48b. Spinelike petiole and rachis persistent on both long and short branchlets.
52a. Corolla rosy, reddish purple, bright purple, pink, or white; calyx tube 1.4--1.7 cm ..... 12. C. jubata
52b. Corolla yellow (yellowish white with reddish claws in C. chumbica, yellow but standard sometimes purple in C. roborovskyi); calyx tube 0.7--1.5 cm (to 2.1 cm in C. pleiophylla).
53a. Corolla standard villous on both surfaces ............................................. 13. C. chumbica
53b. Corolla standard glabrous on both surfaces.
54a. Ovary glabrous or nearly so.
55a. Leaflet blades lanceolate to oblanceolate 8--15 X 3--6 mm; legume lanceolate to narrowly obovoid .................................................................... 14. C. kozlowii
55b. Leaflet blades elliptic, 5--7 X 2--3 mm; legume cylindric .... 24. C. tekesiensis
54b. Ovary distinctly pubescent.
56a. Corolla wings narrowly cuneate, auricle inconspicuous 15. C. cuneatoalata
56b. Corolla wings not cuneate, with a distinct auricle.
57a. Legume inside glabrous.
58a. Leaves with (4 or)6 leaflets, apical pair often largest .............. 22. C. tangutica
58b. Leaves with 6--14 leaflets, all nearly equal.
59a. Leaf rachis 1--2.5 cm; calyx tube 10--12 mm; auricle of corolla wings slightly shorter than claw ................. 23. C. roborovskyi
59b. Leaf rachis 2--3(--6.5) cm; calyx tube 7--10 mm; auricle of corolla wings only ca. 1 mm and much shorter than claw ........... 25. C. changduensis
57b. Legume inside with trichome.
60a. Leaf rachis glaucous and glabrous or whitish pubescent ...... 16. C. leucospina
60b. Leaf rachis neither glaucous nor whitish pubescent.
61a. Shrubs less than 30 cm tall; claw of corolla wing as long or longer than limb.
62a. Shrubs cushion-shaped; leaflet blades linear, 8--12 mm; flowers subsessile; legume 0.7--0.8 cm ....... 17. C. tibetica
62b. Shrub, caespitose but not cushion-shaped; leaflet blades oblong-elliptic, 4--5 mm; flowers with a 5--7 mm pedicel; legume 1.5--2 cm .............................. 18. C. aegacanthoides
61b. Shrubs more than 40 cm tall; claw of corolla wing shorter than limb.
63a. Pedicel 5--7 mm; calyx 1.5--2.1 cm; legume 3--3.5 cm 19. C. pleiophylla
63b. Pedicel 2--4 mm; calyx1--1.3 cm; legume 1.5--2.5 cm.
64a. Leaves with (4 or)6 or 8(or 10) leaflets, elliptic to obovate, pubescent on both surfaces; claw of corolla keel longer than limb; legume lanceolate to narrowly ovoid ................................................. 20. C. gerardiana
64b. Leaves with 8--12 leaflets, oblong, narrowly oblong, or obovate-oblong, pubescent only on abaxial surface; claw of corolla keel longer than limb; legume cylindric .................................................................. 21. C. junatovii
1. Caragana dasyphylla Pojarkova, Fl. URSS 11: 400. 1941.
粗毛锦鸡儿 cu mao jin ji er
Shrubs to 30 cm tall. Bark grayish brown to bright brown. Leaves with 4 leaflets, pinnate on long branchlets, digitate and sessile on short branchlets; petiole 0.8--1.5 cm on long branchlets, persistent; leaflet blades oblanceolate to obovate, 3--12 X 2--3 mm, both surfaces appressed pubescent, base cuneate, apex rounded to truncate. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 2--4 mm, articulate basally. Calyx tube tubular-campanulate, 6--7 mm. Corolla yellow, 1.6--1.8 cm; standard suborbicular to broadly ovate; wings with claw ca. 1/3 as long as limb, auricle ovate and ± as long as claw; keel claw ca. 1/2 as long as limb, auricle small. Ovary glabrous. Legume cylindric, 2--3.5 cm, glabrous. Fl. Apr--May, fr. Jun--Jul.
* Valleys, river banks, slopes; 1200--2800 m. Xinjiang.
2. Caragana sinica (Buc’hoz) Rehder, J. Arnold Arbor. 22: 576. 1941.
锦鸡儿 jin ji er
Robinia sinica Buc’hoz, Pl. Nouv. Decouv. 24. 1784; Caragana chamlagu Lamarck; C. longiunguiculata C. W. Chang; C. rosea Turczaninow ex Maximowicz var. longiunguiculata (C. W. Chang) Y. X. Liou.
Shrubs to 2 m tall. Bark dark brown. Current year branchlets glabrous. Leaves pinnate or sometimes digitate, with 4 leaflets; petiole and rachis 0.7--1.5(--2.5) cm, caducous or persistent; leaflet blades obovate to oblong-obovate, 1--3.5 X 0.5--1.5 cm, apical pairs often largest, apex rounded and mucronate. Flowers solitary. Pedicel ca. 1 cm, articulate at middle. Calyx tube campanulate, 1.2--1.4 cm. Corolla yellow, 2.8--3 cm; standard narrowly obovate, claw short; wings basally auriculate, claw long. Ovary glabrous. Legume cylindric, 3--3.5 cm. Fl. Apr--May, fr. Jul. 2n = 16, 24.
Mountain hills; below 400 to 1800 m. Anhui, Fujian, S Gansu, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Shandong, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Korea].
Cultivated and naturalized in Japan.
3. Caragana ussuriensis (Regel) Pojarkova, Fl. URSS 11: 395. 1941.
乌苏里锦鸡儿 wu su li jin ji er
Caragana frutescens Linnaeus var. ussuriensis Regel, Mem. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint Pétersbourg. Sér. 7, 41: 44. 1862.
Shrubs to 2 m tall. Bark dark brown. Current year branchlets brown, glabrous. Leaves pinnate, on short branchlets sometimes digitate, with 4 leaflets; petiole and rachis 2--15 mm, often caducous; leaflets blades oblong-obovate to oblanceolate, 10--17 X 4--7 mm, base cuneate, apex rounded to mucronate. Flowers solitary or rarely 2 in a fascicle. Pedicel 1.2--2 cm, articulate apically from middle. Calyx tube campanulate, 6--8 X 4--5 mm. Corolla yellow, later becoming reddish; standard narrowly obovate, 2.2--2.5 cm, apex slightly emarginate; wings with claw ca. 1/2 as long as limb, auricle small and obtuse; keel claw ca. 1/2 as long as limb, auricle small. Ovary glabrous. Legume 3--3.5 cm, slightly compressed. Fl. May--Jun, fr. Jul--Aug. 2n = 16, 48.
Hillsides; 50--100 m. SE Heilongjiang [Russia (Far East)].
4. Caragana tragacanthoides (Pallas) Poiret in Lamarck, Encycl. Suppl. 2(1): 90. 1811.
中亚锦鸡儿 zhong ya jin ji er
Robinia tragacanthoides Pallas, Nova Acta Acad. Sci. Imp. Petrop. Hist. Acad. 10: 371. 1797; Caragana hololeuca Bunge ex Komarov.
Shrubs to 1 m tall. Old branches yellow. Leaves pinnate on long branchlets with 4 or 6 leaflets, pinnate or digitate on short branchlets with 4 leaflets; petiole and rachis 0.8--2.5 cm, arched to spreading, and persistent on long branchlets, 5--12 mm and persistent or caducous on short branchlets; leaflet blades narrowly oblanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, 6--12(--15) X (1.5--)2--4 mm. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 2.5--4 mm, articulate basally. Calyx tube tubular, 1--1.2 cm. Corolla yellow, 2--2.2 cm; standard obovate, claw ± as long as limb; wings with claw ± as long as limb, auricle ca. 1/2 as long as or slightly shorter than claw; keel claw ± as long as limb, auricle short. Ovary densely pubescent. Legume cylindric, 1.2--2.5(--3) cm, densely villous. Fl. May, fr. Jul.
Rocky slopes in mountains, scrub in mixed steppe; 700--1300 m. Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia].
Only the autonym variety occurs in China. Caragana tragacanthoides var. himalaica Komarov occurs in Kashmir and Nepal, but its taxonomic status is uncertain.
Plants misidentified as Caragana bongardiana (Fischer & C. A. Meyer) Pojarkova in FRPS 42(1): 35. 1993 belong here.
5. Caragana spinosa (Linnaeus) Hornemann, Hort. Bot. Hafn. 2: 694. 1815.
多刺锦鸡儿 duo ci jin ji er
Robinia spinosa Linnaeus, Mant. Pl. 2: 269. 1771.
Shrubs to 50 cm tall. Old branches yellowish brown; branchlets reddish brown, pubescent when young. Leaves clustered, pinnate with 6 leaflets on long branchlets, digitate with 4 leaflets on short branchlets; petiole 2--3 mm or absent; rachis 1--5 cm and persistent on long branchlets; leaflet blades narrowly oblanceolate to linear, 1.5--2(--3) cm X 2--4 mm, appressed pubescent. Flowers solitary or 2 in a fascicle. Pedicel 2--4 mm, articulate basally. Calyx tube tubular, 7--10 mm. Corolla yellow, 2--2.2 cm; standard obovate, claw 3--4 mm, apex obtuse; wings with claw ± as long as limb, scarcely auricled; keel claw ± as long as limb, auricle absent, apex acute. Ovary glabrous. Legume 2--2.5 cm X 3--4 mm, glabrous. Fl. Jun--Jul, fr. Sep. 2n = 32.
Hillsides, river side or bottomlands; 1200--1300 m. Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia (Siberia)].
6. Caragana pruinosa Komarov, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 29: 265. 1909.
粉刺锦鸡儿 fen ci jin ji er
Shrubs to 1 m tall. Old branches greenish brown to yellowish brown; current year branchlets brown, pubescent when young. Leaves pinnate on long branchlets with 4 or 6 leaflets, digitate on short branchlets with 4 leaflets; petiole and rachis 1--2 cm and persistent on long branchlets, 3--7 mm and caducous on short branchlets; leaflet blades oblanceolate to obovate-lanceolate, 5--10 X 1--3 mm, apex acute to obtuse. Flowers solitary or to 3 in a fascicle. Pedicel 2--3 mm, articulate basally. Calyx tube tubular, 1--1.3 cm. Corolla yellow; standard suborbicular, 2.2--2.7 cm, claw narrow; wings linear, claw ± as long as limb, auricle ca. 1 mm; keel scarcely auriculate, apex acute to rounded. Ovary pilose or rarely glabrous. Legume cylindric, 1.5--2 cm, pilose or rarely glabrous. Fl. May, fr. Jul.
Dry hillsides; 1900--3100 m. Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan].
7. Caragana erinacea Komarov, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 29: 268. 1909.
川西锦鸡儿 chuan xi jin ji er
Caragana maximoviziana Komarov; C. spinifera Komarov.
Shrubs to 60 cm tall. Old branches greenish brown; current year branchlets yellowish brown to reddish brown. Leaves pinnate on long branches with 4--8 leaflets, digitate on short branches with 4 leaflets; petiole and rachis 1.5--2 cm and persistent on long branchlets, 2--15 mm and persistent or caducous on short branchlets; leaflet blades linear-oblanceolate to obovate-oblong, 3--12 X 1--2.5 mm, abaxially pilose, adaxially glabrous, apex acute. Flowers solitary or to 4 in a fascicle. Pedicel very short, appressed pubescent or glabrous. Calyx tube tubular, 8--10 mm. Corolla yellow but standard sometimes reddish purple, 1.8--2.5 cm; standard broadly ovate to oblong-obovate; wings with claw ± as long as limb, auricle very small; keel claw longer than limb. Ovary glabrous or sparsely to densely pubescent. Legume 1.5--2 cm, glabrous or pilose. Fl. May--Jun, fr. Jul--Sep. 2n = 16, 32.
* Forest margins, slopes in grasslands, river banks, sand dunes; 2000--4600 m. Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, W Sichuan, Xizang, NW Yunnan.
8. Caragana acanthophylla Komarov, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 29: 311. 1909.
刺叶锦鸡儿 ci ye jin ji er
Caragana acanthophylla subsp. macrocalyx Yakovlev; C. arcuata Y. X. Liou.
Shrubs to 1.5 m tall. Bark dark gray. Current year branchlets bright brown. Leaves pinnate, with 4--10 leaflets; petiole and rachis 1.5--4 cm, persistent on long branchlets, caducous on short branchlets; leaflets blades obovate, narrowly obovate, or oblong, 4--12 X 3--5 mm, glabrous or appressed pubescent, apex obtuse. Flowers solitary, very rarely 2 in a fascicle. Pedicel 1--2.5 cm, articulate apically or basally from middle. Calyx tube campanulate-tubular, 6--10 mm. Corolla yellow, 2.6--3 cm; standard broadly ovate; wings oblong, claw 1/3--1/2 as long as limb, auricle dentiform; keel with claw ca. 3/4 as long as limb, auricle small. Ovary glabrous. Legume 2--3 cm, glabrous. Fl. Apr--May, fr. Jul. 2n = 16.
Hillsides, river valleys, sandy areas; 1000--1300 m. Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan].
Caragana arcuata is known only from the type, and it is obviously related to C. acanthophylla. The type specimen is depauperate, with only a few leaflets ramaining and with a branch probably from the lower part of an old stem. A field study have not found any materials to support this species, thus here it is treated as a synonym of C. acanthophylla.
9. Caragana crassispina C. Marquand, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 58: 170. 1929.
粗刺锦鸡儿 cu ci jin ji er
Shrubs to 1.2 m tall. Leaves pinnate, with ca. 10 leaflets; petiole and rachis 4--7 cm X ca. 2 mm, persistent on long branchlets, caducous on short branchlets; leaflet blades obovate-lanceolate, 7--15 X 5--7 mm, abaxially pubescent, apex acuminate. Flowers solitary. Calyx tube tubular-campanulate, 1--1.5 cm, base subgibbous. Corolla bright yellow but standard yellow to orangish yellow; standard suborbicular, ca 2.5 cm; wings bright yellow, limb ca. 12 X 4--6 mm, auricle curved and slightly longer than claw; keel with a broad auricle. Ovary densely villous. Legume linear, ca. 3 cm, densely villous. Fl. Jun--Jul, fr. Aug--Sep. 2n = 16.
Woodlands, scrub; 2900--3100 m. Xizang [Nepal].
10. Caragana bicolor Komarov, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 29: 299. 1909.
二色锦鸡儿 er se jin ji er
Caragana limprichtii Harms?
Shrubs to 3 m tall. Old branches grayish brown to dark gray; current year branchlets brown. Leaves pinnate, with 8--16 leaflets; petiole and rachis 1.5--5 cm, persistent on long branchlets, caducous on short branchlets; leaflet blades obovate-oblong to elliptic, 3--8 X 2--4 mm, appressed pubescent when young but later only abaxially pilose, apex obtuse to acute. Flowers solitary or in pairs apically from articulation with peduncle. Pedicel 1--2 cm, articulate near middle. Calyx tube dark brown, campanulate, 0.8--1.2 cm. Corolla yellow but standard violet-purple when dry, 2--2.2 cm; standard obovate, claw ca. 1/2 as long as limb, apex emarginate; wings with claw shorter than limb, auricle 1, slender, and slightly shorter than claw; keel with a claw ± as long as limb, auricle dentiform and small. Ovary densely pubescent. Legume cylindric, 3--4 cm, outside pilose, inside densely pubescent, apex acuminate. Fl. Jun--Jul, fr. Sep--Oct. 2n = 16.
* Slopes, scrub in mixed forests; 2400--3600 m. W Sichuan, E Xizang, NW Yunnan.
Caragana limprichtii from E Xizang may be conspecific with this taxon but needs to be further studied.
11. Caragana franchetiana Komarov, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 29: 300. 1909.
云南锦鸡儿 yun nan jin ji er
Shrubs to 3 m tall. Old branches grayish brown; young branchlets brown. Leaves pinnate, with 10--18 leaflets; petiole and rachis 2--5 cm, persistent on long branchlets, caducous on short branchlets; leaflet blades obovate-oblong to oblong, 5--9 X 3--3.5 mm, pubescent when young, apex obtuse. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 0.5--2 cm, articulate basally from middle. Calyx tube yellowish brown, tubular, 0.8--1.2 cm, base gibbous. Corolla yellow but standard sometimes purple; standard suborbicular to obovate, ca. 2.3 cm, apex emarginate or not; wings with claw slightly shorter than limb, auricles 2, basal auricle ± as long as claw, apical auricle dentiform or ca. 5 mm; keel with claw ± as long as limb, apex obtuse, auricle dentiform. Ovary densely pubescent. Legume cylindric, 2--4.5(--5) cm, outside appressed pubescent, inside brown tomentose. Fl. May--Jun, fr. Jul--Aug. 2n = 16.
* Scrub on slopes, forest margins; 2800--4000 m. SW and W Sichuan, Xizang, N and NW Yunnan.
1a. Corolla standard suborbicular, apex not emarginate; wings with apical auricle dentiform ..... 11a. var. franchetiana
1b. Corolla standard obovate, apex slightly emarginate; wings with apical auricle ca. 5 mm ...... 11b. var. gyirongensis
11a. Caragana franchetiana var. franchetiana
云南锦鸡儿(原变种) yun nan jin ji er (yuan bian zhong)
Caragana gerardiana Bentham var. glabrescens Franchet; C. oreophila W. W. Smith?
Corolla standard suborbicular, apex not emarginate; wings with apical auricle dentiform.
* Slopes in scrub, under trees at forest margins; 2800--4000 m. SW and W Sichuan, Xizang, N and NW Yunnan.
Caragana oreophila from NW Yunnan may be conspecific with this species but needs to be studied further.
11b. Caragana franchetiana var. gyirongensis (C. C. Ni) Y. X. Liou, Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 42(1): 25. 1993.
吉隆锦鸡儿 ji long jin ji er
Caragana gyirongensis C. C. Ni, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 18: 367. 1980; C. jilungensis C. C. Ni.
Corolla standard obovate, apex slightly emarginate; wings with apical auricle ca. 5 mm.
* Mountain slopes; ca. 2900 m. Xizang (Gyirong Xian).
12. Caragana jubata (Pallas) Poiret in Lamarck, Encycl. Suppl. 2(1): 89. 1811.
鬼箭锦鸡儿 gui jian jin ji er
Shrubs 0.3--2 m tall. Bark dark brown, dark gray, or grayish brown. Leaves pinnate, with 8--12 leaflets; petiole and rachis 5--7 cm, persistent; leaflet blades oblong, 11--15 X 4--6 mm, base rounded, apex rounded to acute. Flowers solitary. Pedicel ca. 0.5 mm, articulate basally. Calyx tube tubular, 1.4--1.7 cm. Corolla rosy, reddish purple, bright purple, pink, or white, 2.5--3.9 cm; standard broadly ovate; wings oblong, claw 2/3--3/4 as long as limb, auricles 1 or 2 and linear, subulate, or triangular. Ovary villous. Legume to 3 cm, densely villous. Fl. Jun--Jul, fr. Aug--Sep. 2n = 16.
Slopes, forest margins; 2400--4700 m. Gansu, Hebei, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Xizang, N Yunnan [Bhutan, India (Sikkim), Mongolia, Nepal, E Russia].
The distribution of this species is wide. The morphological characters are variable, and are found under various varieties.
1a. Corolla wings with auricle on claw; flowers reddish purple ................................................................. 12d. var. recurva
1b. Corolla wings with auricle on limb; flowers rosy.
2a. Corolla wings with 1 auricle ................................................................................................................. 12a. var. jubata
2b. Corolla wings with 2 auricles.
3a. Corolla wings with auricles subulate to triangular ........................................................ 12b. var. cretyrkininii
3b. Corolla wings with auricles linear ............................................................................................ 12c. var. biaurita
12a. Caragana jubata var. jubata
鬼箭锦鸡儿(原变种) gui jian jing ji er (yuan bian zhong)
Robinia jubata Pallas, Nova Acta Acad. Sci. Imp. Petrop. Hist. Acad. 10: 370. 1797; Caragana jubata f. seczuanica Komarov.
Flowers rosy. Corolla wings with 1 auricle on limb. 2n = 16.
Slopes, forest margins; 2400--4700 m. Gansu, Hebei, W Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, N Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Xizang, N Yunnan [Bhutan, India (Sikkim), Mongolia, Nepal, E Russia].
12b. Caragana jubata var. czetyrkininii (Sanchir) Y. X. Liou, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 22: 214. 1984.
浪麻鬼箭 lang ma gui jian
Caragana czetyrkininii Sanchir, Bot. Zhurn. (Moscow & Leningrad) 59: 232. 1974; C. forrestii Sanchir.
Corolla wings with 2 auricles, basal auricle linear and slightly shorter than claw, apical auricle subulate to triangular and 1--2 mm.
* Slopes; 3800--4400 m. Qinghai, Xizang, NW Yunnan.
12c. Caragana jubata var. biaurita Y. X. Liou, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 22: 214. 1984.
两耳鬼箭 liang er gui jian
Leaflet blades 5--7 mm wide. Corolla 3.6--3.9 cm; wings with 2 auricles, longest auricle linear and 2--6 mm.
* Slopes; 3000--4700 m. Hebei (Zhuolu Xian), Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, S Xinjiang.
12d. Caragana jubata var. recurva Y. X. Liou, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 22. 214. 1984.
弯耳鬼箭 wan er gui jian
Corolla reddish purple, ca. 2.5 cm; wings with auricle on claw and recurved.
* Slopes; 2700--4600 m. Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, W Sichuan, E Xizang.
13. Caragana chumbica Prain, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 66, 2: 370. 1897.
高山锦鸡儿 gao shan jin ji er
Caragana alpina Y. X. Liou.
Shrubs to 1.5 m tall. Old branches dark brown to yellowish brown; current year branchlets densely villous. Leaves pinnate, with 6 leaflets; petiole and rachis 2.5--6 cm, persistent, densely villous when young; leaflet blades linear to narrow lanceolate, 12--16 X 2--3 mm, villous on both surfaces, apex acute. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 3--4 mm, articulate basally. Calyx tube campanulate-tubular, ca. 8 mm. Corolla yellowish white but petal claws reddish, 2.4--2.5 cm; standard suborbicular, both surfaces villous, claw ca. 1/2 as long as limb; wings with claw ca. 2/5 as long as limb, auricles 2, basal auricle slightly longer than claw, apical auricle triangular to dentiform; keel with claw slightly shorter than limb, auricle not prominent. Ovary densely villous. Legume unknown. Fl. Jun.
Rocky slopes of alpine mountains; 4600--5000 m. S Xizang [India (Sikkim), Nepal].
Treated as synonym of Caragana jubata by A. J. C. Grierson & D. G. Long (Fl. Bhutan 1(3): 713. 1987). This species may just represent a high elevation form of C. jubata.
14. Caragana kozlowii Komarov, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 29: 283. 1909.
沧江锦鸡儿 cang jiang jin ji er
Caragana tangutica Maximowicz var. yushuensis Y. H. Wu.
Shrubs to 1.5 m tall. Old branches grayish brown to brown. Leaves pinnate, with (4 or)6(or 8) leaflets; petiole and rachis 2--4 cm, persistent; leaflet blades lanceolate to oblanceolate, 8--15 X 3--6 mm, apex acute. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 1--6 mm, articulate basally. Calyx tube tubular-campanulate, 0.9--1.3 cm. Corolla yellow, (1.7--)2--2.3 cm; standard oblong-obovate, claw short, apex rounded; wings with claw as long as limb, auricle ca. 2 mm; keel with claw slightly longer than limb. Ovary glabrous. Legume lanceolate to narrowly ovoid, 2.5--3.5 cm, glabrous. Fl. May--Jul, fr. Aug--Sep.
* River basins, slopes; 3100--4300 m. S Qinghai, E Xizang.
According to the original diagnosis, the leaves have 6 or 8 leaflets, but for the specimens we have seen the leaflets are never more than 6.
15. Caragana cuneatoalata Y. X. Liou, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 22: 212. 1984.
楔翼锦鸡儿 xie yi jin ji er
Shrubs to 2 m tall. Old branches bright brown; current year branchlets villous. Leaves pinnate, with 6(or 8) leaflets; petiole and rachis 2.5--3.5 mm, persistent; leaflets blades oblong, 7--10 X 2--3 mm, both surfaces villous. Flowers solitary. Pedicel very short. Calyx tube tubular-campanulate, ca. 1 cm. Corolla 2.7--2.8 cm; standard oblong; wings cuneate, claw ca. 1/2 as long as limb, auricle inconspicuous; keel with claw slightly longer than limb. Ovary densely villous. Legume unknown. Fl. Jul--Aug.
* Slopes, river valleys; ca. 4700 m. Xizang.
This species is dubious in that it is known only from the type specimen.
16. Caragana leucospina Komarov, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 29: 281. 1909.
白刺锦鸡儿bai ci jin ji er
Shrubs to 1 m tall. Bark yellowish gray. Leaves pinnate, with 6--8 leaflets; petiole and rachis ca. 3 cm, persistent, glaucous, glabrous or white pubescent; leaflet blades narrowly elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, (5--)10--16(--17) X 2--4.5(--5) mm, densely pubescent, apex rounded. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 4--6 mm, articulate basally. Calyx tube broadly tubular, ca. 1.3 cm. Corolla yellow, 2.5--3 cm; standard obovate, claw narrow; wings oblong, auricle shortly linear; keel base nearly truncate. Ovary densely pubescent. Legume 2--2.5 cm, outside pubescent, inside with trichomes. Fl. Jun, fr. Jul.
Slopes; 1200--2500 m. Xinjiang [Kyrgyzstan].
17. Caragana tibetica (Maximowicz ex C. K. Schneider) Komarov, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 29: 282. 1909.
毛刺锦鸡儿 mao ci jin ji er
Caragana tragacanthoides (Pallas) Poiret var. tibetica Maximowicz ex C. K. Schneider, Ill. Handb. Laubholzk. 2: 100. 1907; C. ordosica Y. Z. Zhao et al.
Shrubs to 30 cm tall, cushion-shaped. Old branches grayish yellow to grayish brown; current year branchlets bright grayish brown, densely pubescent. Leaves pinnate, with 6 or 8 leaflets; petiole and rachis 2--3.5 cm, persistent, densely pubescent when young; leaflets blades linear, 8--12 X 0.5--1.5 mm, densely villous, apex acute. Flowers solitary, subsessile. Calyx tube tubular, 0.8--1.5 cm. Corolla yellow, 2.2--2.5 cm; standard obovate, claw ca. 1/2 as long as limb, apex slightly emarginate; wings with claw as long or slightly longer than limb; keel with claw slightly longer than limb, auricle dentiform. Ovary densely pubescent. Legume ellipsoid, 7--8 mm, outside pubescent, inside tomentose. Fl. May--Jul, fr. Jul--Aug. 2n = 16.
Dry slopes, sandy areas; 1400--3500 m. Gansu, W Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, N Shaanxi, W Sichuan, Xizang [Mongolia].
Y. Z. Zhao et al. (Bull. Bot. Res., Harbin 25: 385. 2005) believes that Caragana ordosica differs from this taxon by leaflet blades involute thus becoming tubular in cross section and auricle of corolla wings obtuse. However, from the general morphology we believe it is conspecific with this taxon.
18. Caragana aegacanthoides (R. Parker) L. B. Chaudhary & S. K. Srivastava, Taiwania 52: 31. 2007.
萨迦锦鸡儿 sa jia jin ji er
Astragalus aegacanthoides R. Parker, Indian Forester 49: 78. 1923; Caragana sajaensis Z. C. Ni.
Shrubs to 6--10 cm tall, caespitose. Bark grayish yellow, glabrous. Branches short and dense, pubescent. Leaves pinnate, with (6--)12 or 14(or 16) leaflets; petiole and rachis 3--8 cm, persistent, densely pubescent when young, later glabrescent; leaflet blades oblong-elliptic, 4--5 X ca. 2 mm, both surfaces pubescent, apex emarginate to truncate. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 5--7 mm. Calyx tube tubular, 1--1.2 cm, pubescent. Corolla yellow, 2--2.4 cm; standard ovate-oblong, 2.2--2.4 cm, claw ca. 1/2 as long as limb, apex emarginate; wings with limb ca. 1.2 cm, claw distinctly longer than limb; keel with claw distinctly longer than limb, auricle short. Ovary densely pubescent. Legume oblong-ellipsoid, 1.5--2 cm, outside densely pubescent or when mature glabrescent, inside with trichomes. Fl. Jun--Jul, fr. Jul--Aug.
Valleys in grasslands or meadows; 4000--4800 m. S Xizang [N India].
19. Caragana pleiophylla (Regel) Pojarkova, Fl. URSS 11: 401. 1941.
多叶锦鸡儿duo ye jin ji er
Cargana tragacanthoides (Pallas) Poiret var. pleiophylla Regel, Izv. Obšč. Estestv. Antrop. Etnogr. Mosk. Univ. 34(2): 19. 1882.
Shrubs to 1 m tall. Old branches yellowish brown; branchlets pubescent. Leaves pinnate, with 8--14 leaflets; petiole and rachis 1.5--4(--5.5) cm, persistent; leaflet blades oblong to obovate-oblong, 6--12 X 3--4 mm, both surfaces appressed pubescent when young, base broadly cuneate, apex acute. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 5--7 mm, articulate basally. Calyx tube narrowly tubular, 1.5--2.1 cm. Corolla yellow, 3--3.6 cm; standard elliptic-ovate, claw 1/3--1/2 as long as limb, apex slightly emarginate; wings with claw ca. 2/3 as long as limb, auricle 2/5--1/2 as long as claw and often with an additional apical 1--2 mm auricle; keel with claw ± as long as limb. Ovary densely pubescent. Legume tubular, 3--3.5 cm, outside pubescent, inside with trichomes. Fl. May, fr. Jun--Jul. 2n = 16.
Rocky slopes, river terraces; 1500--2500 m. Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan].
G. P. Yakovlev (Rast. Tsentral. Azii 8a: 35. 1988) considered that this taxon is synonymous with Caragana roborovskyi, but its wing auricle is 1/2--1/3 as long as limb, standard elliptic-obovate, calyx 1.5--2.1 cm, corolla 3--3.6 cm, which are different from those of C. roborovskyi. The latter has wing auricle nearly as long as limb, standard obovate, calyx 1--1.2 cm, and corolla 2.3--2.7 cm.
20. Caragana gerardiana Bentham in Royle, Ill. Bot. Himal. Mts. t. 34. 1834.
印度锦鸡儿 yin du jin ji er
Shrubs to 1 m tall. Old branches yellowish brown to gray; branchlets reddish brown, villous. Leaves pinnate, with (4 or)6 or 8(or 10) leaflets; petiole and rachis 1.5--3.5 cm, persistent, densely tomentose; leaflet blades elliptic to obovate, 5--10 X 2--5 mm, both surfaces tomentose, base cuneate, apex rounded to obtuse. Flowers solitary or sometimes paired. Pedicel 2--4 mm, articulate basally. Calyx tube tubular, 1--1.3 cm. Corolla yellow, 2.3--2.5 cm; standard broadly obovate, claw ca. 1/3 as long as limb, apex emarginate to rounded; wings with claw slightly shorter than limb, auricle shortly dentiform; keel with a claw shorter than limb, auricle orbicular. Ovary tomentose. Legume lanceolate to narrowly ovoid, 1.5--2 cm, turgid, outside and inside tomentose. Fl. May--Jul, fr. Jul--Aug. 2n = 16, 18.
Slopes in scrub; 3700--4200 m. S Qinghai, W Xizang [Afghanistan, NW India, Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan; SW Asia].
21. Caragana junatovii Gorbunova, Nov. Syst. Pl. Vasc. 21:89. 1984.
通天河锦鸡儿 tong tian he jin ji er
Shrubs to 40--50 cm tall. Old branches grayish brown; branchlets reddish brown, sparsely villous. Leaves pinnate, with 8--12 leaflets; petiole and rachis 2.5--3.5 cm on short branchlets, 3.5--4.5 cm on long branchlets, persistent, villous when young; leaflet blades oblong, narrowly oblong, or obovate-oblong, 6--8 X 3--4 mm, abaxially pilose, apex obtuse to acute. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 2--3 mm. Calyx tube tubular, 1--1.2 cm, pubescent. Corolla yellow; standard obovate, ca. 2.5 cm, apex emarginate; wings as long as standard, claw 3/5 as long as limb, auricle ca. 1/2 as long as claw; keel ca. 2.1 cm, claw longer than limb. Ovary white pubescent. Legume cylindric, 1.5--2 cm, outside densely pubescent to glabrescent, inside tomentose. Fl. Jun, fr. Jun--Jul.
* Sunny slopes; 3800--4100 m. SW Qinghai.
Plants misidentified as “Caragana przewalskii” in FRPS 42: 33. 1993 belong here, and although treated in FRPS, “C. przewalskii” is an invalid name that is synonymous with C. roborovskyi.
22. Caragana tangutica Maximowicz in Komarov, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 29: 286. 1909.
青甘锦鸡儿qing gan jin ji er
Caragana leduensis Y. Z. Zhao et al.
Shrubs to 4 m tall. Bark exfoliating in sheets. Old branches greenish brown. Leaves pinnate, with (4 or)6 leaflets; petiole and rachis 1.5--4 cm, persistent; leaflet blades oblanceolate to oblong-ovate, 8--15 X 3--8 mm, with apical pair often largest, abaxial surface and margin villous, apex acute. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 0.8--1.5 cm, articulate basally. Calyx tube campanulate-tubular, 0.8--1.3 cm. Corolla yellow, 2.3--2.7 cm; standard obovate, apex emarginate; wings with claw slightly shorter than limb, auricle linear and ca. 1/2--3/4 as long as claw; keel with claw ca. 3/4 as long as limb. Ovary densely pubescent. Legume linear, 3--4 cm, outside appressed pubescent, inside glabrous. Fl. May--Jun, fr. Jul--Sep. 2n = 16.
* Shrubby slopes, sunny slopes, woodlands; 2000--4000 m. Gansu, S Ningxia, Qinghai, W Sichuan.
23. Caragana roborovskyi Komarov, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 29: 280. 1909.
荒漠锦鸡儿 huang mo jin ji er
Caragana przewalskii Pojarkova, nom. nud.
Shrubs to 1 m tall. Branches yellowish brown, pubescent when young. Leaves pinnate, with 6--12 leaflets; petiole and rachis 1--2.5 cm, persistent; leaflet blades broadly obovate to oblong, 4--10 X 3--5 mm, all equal in size, densely pubescent, apex rounded to acute. Flowers solitary. Pedicel ca. 4 mm, articulate near middle to basally. Calyx tube tubular, 1.1--1.2 cm. Corolla yellow but standard sometimes purple; standard obovate, 2.3--2.7 X 1.2--1.3 cm; wings with claw ca. 1/2 as long as limb, auricle linear and slightly shorter than claw; keel with claw ± as long as limb, auricle obtuse and small. Ovary densely pubescent. Legume cylindric, 2.5--3 cm, outside white villous, inside glabrous. Fl. May, fr. Jun--Jul. 2n = 16.
* Dry slopes, valleys, sunny areas, loess hills; 1200--3100 m. Gansu, W Nei Mongol, Ningxia, E Qinghai, Xinjiang.
Plants treated as “Caragana przewalskii” in FRPS 42: 33. 1993 were misidentified and belong to C. junatovii.
24. Caragana tekesiensis Y. Z. Zhao & D. W. Zhou, Bull. Bot. Res., Harbin 10: 83. 1990.
特克斯锦鸡儿 te ke si jin ji er
Shrubs to 1 m tall. Branches grayish yellow, pubescent when young. Leaves pinnate, with 6--12 leaflets; petiole and rachis 1.5--3 cm, persistent, pubescent when young; leaflet blades elliptic, 5--7 X 2--3 mm, densely pubescent. Flowers solitary or to 3 in a fascicle. Pedicel ca. 4 mm, articulate basally. Calyx tube tubular-campanulate, 1--1.5 cm. Corolla yellow; standard broadly oblanceolate to narrowly obovate, 1.5--2 X 0.6--0.8 cm; wings with claw ca. 1/4 as long as limb, auricle linear and slightly shorter than claw; keel auricle small, dentiform, apex obtuse. Ovary glabrous or nearly so. Legume cylindric, 2.5--4 X ca. 0.4 cm, glabrous. Fl. Jun, fr. Jul.
* Dry slopes; 1200--2000 m. Xinjiang (Tekes Xian, Zhaosu Xian).
25. Caragana changduensis Y. X. Liou, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 22: 212. 1984.
昌都锦鸡儿 chang du jin ji er
Shrubs to 2 m tall. Old branches yellowish brown to grayish brown. Leaves pinnate, with 10--14 leaflets; petiole and rachis tender, 2--3(--6.5) cm, persistent; leaflet blades ovate-oblong to oblong, 5--7 X 2.5 mm, all equal in size, both surfaces pubescent, apex acute. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 2--3 mm, articulate basally. Calyx reddish brown; tube tubular, 7--10 mm. Corolla yellow, 2.2--2.3 cm; standard obovate, apex ± rounded; wings with claw longer than 1/2 to slightly shorter than limb, auricle ca. 1 mm; keel with claw longer than limb, auricle inconspicuous. Ovary densely pubescent. Legume lanceolate, ca. 2.5 cm, outside pubescent, inside glabrous. Fl. Jun, fr. Jul--Aug.
* Slopes in scrub, river banks; 3100--4300 m. S Qinghai, NW Sichuan, Xizang.
Y. Z. Zhao (Acta Sci. Nat. Univ. Intramolgol. 24: 648. 1993) and Y. H. Wu (Fl. Qinghai. 2: 182. 1999) considered that this species is synonymous with Caragana gerardiana because the authors thought that the inner side of the fruits of this taxon with or without trichomes overlaps with those of C. gerardiana, which needs to be further studied.
26. Caragana soongorica Grubov, Bot. Mater. Gerb. Bot. Inst. Komarova Acad. Nauk SSSR 19: 543. 1959.
准噶尔锦鸡儿 zhun ge er jin ji er
Shrubs to 2 m tall. Branches dark gray to purplish black. Leaves pinnate, with 4--8 leaflets; petiole and rachis 1.5--4.5 cm, caducous; leaflet blades obovate, 7--15 X 5--9 mm, both surfaces glabrous or abaxially appressed pubescent, apex slightly emarginate to truncate. Flowers usually in pairs or very rarely 1-flowered on pedicel. Pedicel 1--3.5 cm, articulate apically from middle. Calyx tube campanulate, 7--9 mm. Corolla yellow, 3--3.5 cm; standard broadly ovate, claw ca. 1 cm; wings with claw ca. 1/2 as long as limb, auricle linear and 2--3 mm; keel 3--5 mm shorter than wings, claw ca. 4/5 as long as limb. Ovary sericeous to glabrescent. Legume 4--5.5 cm. Fl. May, fr. Jul--Aug.
* Slopes in scrub, river terraces; 900--1800 m. Xinjiang.
27. Caragana stipitata Komarov, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 29: 343. 1909.
柄荚锦鸡儿 bing jia jin ji er
Caragana reticulate Rehder; C. sericea Pampanini ex Komarov.
Shrubs to 2 m tall. Branches dark grayish brown to bright brown. Leaves pinnate, with 8--12 leaflets; petiole and rachis 3--7 cm, caducous; leaflet blades oblong, elliptic, or ovate-lanceolate, 1.5--2(--2.8) X 0.7--1(--1.5) cm, densely sericeous when young. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 0.6--1.5 cm, articulate apically from middle. Calyx tube campanulate, 5--7 mm. Corolla yellow, 1.3--1.5 cm; standard rhombic to broadly ovate, claw ca. 1/3 as long as limb; wings with claw ± as long as limb, auricle ca. 1/3 as long as claw; keel with claw slightly longer than limb, auricle spurlike. Ovary densely sericeous, with a gynophore. Legume lanceolate, 2.5--3 cm, stipe nearly as long as to slightly longer than calyx. Fl. Apr--May, fr. Jun--Jul.
* Slopes, valleys, shrubby forest margins; 1000--2100 m. E Gansu, W Henan, Shaanxi, S Shanxi.
28. Caragana zahlbruckneri C. K. Schneider, Ill. Handb. Laubholzk. 2: 96. 1907.
南口锦鸡儿 nan kou jin ji er
Shrubs to 1.5 m tall. Branches brownish black to greenish brown; current year branchlets reddish brown. Leaves pinnate, with 10--18 leaflets; petiole and rachis 3--8 cm, caducous; leaflet blades obovate-oblong, oblanceolate, or narrowly oblanceolate, 6--18 X 4--6 mm, nearly glabrous to appressed pubescent, apex rounded to obtuse. Flowers solitary or 2 in a fascicle. Pedicel 0.8--1.5 cm, articulate at or apically from middle. Calyx tube campanulate-tubular, 7--8 mm. Corolla yellow; standard obovate to suborbicular, 2.3--2.5 cm, claw short; wings with claw slightly longer or equal to limb, auricle dentiform; keel with claw slightly longer than limb, auricle inconspicuous. Ovary glabrous. Legume 4--4.5 cm, glabrous. Fl. May, fr. Jul.
* Slopes in scrub; 500--1900 m. N Hebei, S Heilongjiang, NW Shanxi.
29. Caragana fruticosa (Pallas) Besser, Cat. Hort. Cremeneci 116. 1816.
极东锦鸡儿ji dong jin ji er
Robinia altagana Pallas var. fruticosa Pallas, Fl. Ross. 1: 69. 1784.
Shrubs to 2 m tall. Branches grayish green-brown; current year branchlets greenish brown. Leaves pinnate, with 8--12 leaflets, long petiolate; petiole and rachis 2.5--4 cm, caducous; leaflet blades oblong, 10--15 X 4--6 mm, glabrous, apex sometimes emarginate. Flowers solitary or rarely 2 in a fascicle. Pedicel 0.8--1.2 cm, articulate apically. Calyx tube campanulate, 5--6 mm. Corolla bright yellow, 1.6--1.9 cm; standard rhombic to broadly ovate, claw ca. 1/4 as long as limb, apex slightly emarginate; wings oblong, claw ca. 1/2 as long as limb, auricle dentiform; keel with claw nearly as long as limb. Ovary glabrous. Legume cylindric, 3--3.5 cm. Fl. Jun, fr. Jul. 2n = 16.
Slopes in scrub; less than 100 to 1800 m. Heilongjiang [Korea, E Russia].
30. Caragana arborescens Lamarck, Encycl 1: 615. 1785.
树锦鸡儿shu jin ji er
Caragana fruticosa (Pallas) Besser var. multiflora H. Xie & Y. T. Zhao; C. sibirica Medikus; Robinia caragana Linnaeus.
Trees or large shrubs, 2--6 m tall. Branches dark gray; branchlets green to yellowish brown. Stipules spinelike, 5--10 mm. Leaves pinnate, with 8--16 leaflets; petiole and rachis 3--7 cm, caducous; leaflets blades oblong-obovate to elliptic, 1--2(--2.5) X 0.5--1(--1.3) cm, pubescent when young or only abaxially pubescent, base mostly rounded or rounded-cuneate, apex obtuse. Flowers solitary or to 5 in a fascicle. Pedicel 2--5 cm, articulate apically. Calyx tube often broadly campanulate, 6--8 mm. Corolla yellow, 1.6--2 cm; standard rhombic to broadly ovate, apex rounded-obtuse; wings with claw ca. 3/4 as long as limb, auricle spurlike and no longer than 1/3 length of claw; keel with claw slightly shorter than limb, auricle obtuse to deltoid. Ovary glabrous or appressed pubescent. Legume 3.5--6 cm, glabrous. Fl. May--Jun, fr. Aug--Sep. 2n = 16.
Forest margins, woodlands; 1000--1900 m. Heilongjiang, Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia (Siberia)].
Caragana sibirica as a pre-Linnaean name was used by A. van Royen (Fl. Leyd. Prodr. 537. 1740) and considered by Linnaeus to be a synonym of Robinia caragana (Sp. Pl. 2: 722. 1753). Although P. C. Fabricius used the name C. sibirica in his Enum. (ed. 2) 421. 1763 which would appear to have priority over C. arborescens, only generic names are validly published here, and the first valid publication of C. sibirica as a binomial was in the later publication by F. K. Medikus (Vorles. Churpfälz. Phys.-Öcon. Ges. 2: 365. 1787).
31. Caragana boisii C. K. Schneider, Ill. Handb. Laubholzk. 2: 96. 1907.
扁刺锦鸡儿 bian ci jin ji er
Caragana boisii var. platycarpa Yakovlev; C. microphylla Lamarck var. crasseaculeata Bois.
Shrubs to 1.3 m tall. Branches brown; current year branchlets purplish brown. Stipules spinelike, 0.8--1.5 cm. Leaves pinnate, with 8--20 leaflets; petiole and rachis often caducous; leaflet blades elliptic-oblong to obovate-elliptic, 5--18(--20) X 4--12 mm, sericeous when young but later only sericeous along abaxial veins, apex obtuse to emarginate. Flowers solitary or sometimes to 3 in a fascicle. Pedicel 1.5--2.8 cm, articulate apically. Calyx tube campanulate, 6--11 mm. Corolla yellow, 2--2.5 cm; standard broadly ovate, claw ca. 1/2 as long as limb or shorter; wings with claw ± as long as limb, auricle ca. 1/3 as long as claw; keel with claw ± as long as limb. Ovary pubescent. Legume 2.5--5 cm X 4--6 mm, glabrous. Fl. May, fr. Jul--Aug. 2n = 16.
* Slopes, valleys, terraces; 2200--3200 m. S Gansu, S Shaanxi, Sichuan.
32. Caragana manshurica (Komarov) Komarov, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 29,2: 336. 1909.
东北锦鸡儿 dong bei jin ji er
Caragana microphylla Lamarck f. manshurica Komarov, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 22: 582. 1904.
Shrubs to 2 m tall. Branches brown to grayish brown. Leaves pinnate, with 10--20 leaflets; petiole and rachis 4--9 cm, caducous; leaflets blades obovate-elliptic to oblong, 1--2 X 0.6--1 cm, pubescent or glabrous, base mostly cuneate, apex obtuse, truncate, or emarginate. Flowers solitary or rarely 2 in a fascicle. Pedicel 1--3 cm, articulate apically. Calyx tube tubular to broadly campanulate, 8--9 mm. Corolla yellow, ca. 2.3 cm; standard suborbicular, claw ca. 1/3 as long as limb; wings with claw ca. 1/2 as long as limb, auricle long and dentiform; keel with claw slightly longer than limb, limb ± cuneate. Ovary nearly glabrous. Legume turgid to cylindric, ca. 5.5 cm, glabrous. Fl. May, fr. Jul--Aug.
Dry slopes, forest margins; ca. 700 m. Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Shanxi [Korea, E Russia].
33. Caragana turkestanica Komarov, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 29: 314. 1909.
新疆锦鸡儿 xin jiang jin ji er
Shrubs to 2 m tall. Branches gray to grayish green. Leaves pinnate, with 6--10 leaflets; petiole and rachis 3--6 cm, caducous or rarely persistent; leaflets blades broadly obovate to elliptic, 1--2 X 0.5--1 cm, glabrous or appressed pilose, apex rounded to truncate. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 2--5 cm, articulate apically from middle. Calyx tube campanulate, 6--8 mm. Corolla yellow; standard broadly ovate, 2.4--2.7 cm, base narrow to shortly clawed; wings 2.7--3 cm, claw ca. 2/5 as long as limb, auricle narrow and ca. 1/3 as long as claw; keel with claw ca. 2/3 as long as limb, auricle short and obtuse. Ovary glabrous. Legume cylindric, 3--5 cm, glabrous. Fl. May, fr. Jul. 2n = 16.
Sunny slopes, dry scrub; 1100--1200 m. Xinjiang [Kyrgyzstan].
34. Caragana davazamcii Sanchir, Bot. Zhurn. (Moscow & Leningrad) 59: 233. 1974.
沙地锦鸡儿sha di jin ji er
Caragana davazamcii var. viridis Y. X. Liou; C. erenensis Y. X. Liou; C. korshinskii Komarov var. davazamcii (Sanchir) Yakovlev.
Shrubs to 1.5 m tall. Leaflets, pedicels, and current year branchlets with dense trichomes, not glabrescent, glaucous. Old branches brown and glaucous; branchlets bright yellow. Leaves pinnate, with 8--18 leaflets; petiole and rachis 2.5--4 cm, caducous; leaflet blades oblong to obovate-lanceolate, 5--10 X 3--6 mm, both surfaces appressed sericeous to pilose, apex rounded. Flowers solitary or 2 in a fascicle. Pedicel 1--2 cm, articulate basally or apically from middle. Calyx tube broadly tubular, 8--10 mm. Corolla yellow, 2--3 cm; standard suborbicular to orbicular-ovate, claw short, apex emarginate; wings 1.4--2 cm, claw long, auricle dentiform to narrowly linear and 1--3 mm; keel 0.9--1.4 cm, claw ± as long as limb. Ovary with a gynophore, glabrous or appressed pilose. Legume linear, 3.5--5 cm, falcate, stipitate, glabrous. Fl. May--Jun, fr. Jun--Jul.
Sandy areas, sand dunes in desert steppes; 300--1000 m. Liaoning, Nei Mongol [Mongolia].
35. Caragana purdomii Rehder, J. Arnold Arbor. 7: 168. 1926.
秦晋锦鸡儿 qin jin jin ji er
Shrubs to 3 m tall. Leaflets, pedicels, and current year branchlets pubescent, glabrescent, and not glaucous. Old branches bright yellow, not glaucous; branchlets dark grayish green to brown. Leaves pinnate, with 10--16 leaflets; petiole and rachis 2--4 cm, caducous; leaflet blades obovate, elliptic, or oblong, 3--8 X 3--5 mm, both surfaces pilose, apex rounded, emarginate, or acute. Flowers solitary or to 4 in a fascicle. Pedicel 1--2 cm, articulate apically. Calyx tube campanulate-tubular, 8--10 mm, pubescent to nearly glabrous. Corolla yellow, 2.5--2.8 cm; standard broadly obovate, 2--2.7 cm, claw short; wings with a claw ca. 2/3 as long as limb, auricle spurlike and ca. 1/3 as long as claw; keel with claw nearly as long as limb, auricle obtuse. Ovary with a 2.5--4 mm gynophore, glabrous. Legume 4--5 cm, stipitate, glabrous. Fl. May, fr. Jul--Sep.
* Sunny slopes, loess hills; 700--1700 m. S Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi.
Plants misidentified as Caragana sericea by D. W. Zhou et al. (J. NorthE. Norm. Univ. 26: 65. 1994) belong here.
36. Caragana pekinensis Komarov, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 29: 339. 1909.
北京锦鸡儿bei jing jin ji er
Caragana hopeiensis Yakovlev; C. zahlbruckneri C. K. Schneider var. pekinensis (Komarov) Yakovlev; C. zahlbruckneri var. pilosa Yakovelev.
Shrubs to 2 m tall. Branches brown to dark brown. Leaves pinnate, with 12--16 leaflets; petiole and rachis 2--6 cm, caducous; leaflet blades elliptic to obovate-elliptic, 5--12 X 5--7 mm, both surfaces appressed pubescent, apex obtuse to rounded. Flowers solitary or 2(--4) in a fascicle. Pedicel 0.6--1.5 cm, articulate apically. Calyx tube tubular-campanulate, 7--8 mm. Corolla yellow, ca. 2.5 cm; standard broadly ovate to broadly elliptic; wings slightly longer than standard, claw ca. 2/3 as long as limb, auricle ca. 3 mm; keel slightly shorter than wings, claw longer than limb, auricle inconspicuous. Ovary sericeous. Legume compressed, 4--6 cm, densely pubescent. Fl. May, fr. Jul. 2n = 16.
* Hillsides, loess hills; 400--1000 m. Hebei, Henan, Shaanxi, Shanxi.
37. Caragana litwinowii Komarov, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 29: 340. 1909.
金州锦鸡儿 jin zhou jin ji er
Caragana zahlbruckneri C. K. Schneider subsp. litwinowii (Komarov) Yakovelev.
Shrubs to 60 cm tall. Branches bright brown to yellowish gray. Stipules spinelike, 1--1.3 cm. Leaves pinnate, with 16--20 leaflets; petiole and rachis caducous; leaflet blades obovate-oblong, 6--7 X 2--4 mm, glabrous, apex acute. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 7--8 mm, articulate near middle. Calyx tube tubular-campanulate. Corolla yellow, ca. 2.2 cm; standard broadly ovate, limb ca. 1.7 X 1.4 cm, claw short; wings oblong, claw ca. 1/3 as long as limb, auricle dentiform and ca. 3 mm; keel with claw ca. 1/2 as long as limb, auricle inconspicuous. Ovary glabrous. Legume not seen. Fl. May.
* Slopes; ca. 500 m. Liaoning (Jin Xian).
38. Caragana microphylla Lamarck, Encycl. 1(2): 615. 1785.
小叶锦鸡儿xiao ye jin ji er
Caragana microphylla f. cinerea Komarov; C. microphylla f. daurica Komarov; C. microphylla f. pallasiana Komarov; C. microphylla f. viridis Komarov.
Shrubs to 2(--3) m tall. Branches dark gray to dark green; branchlets glabrous or tomentose. Stipules spinelike, 1.5--5 mm, usually obliquely erect. Leaves pinnate, with 10--20 leaflets; petiole and rachis caducous; leaflet blades obovate to obovate-oblong, 3--10 X 2--8 mm, glabrous, pubescent, or tomentose, apex obtuse to truncate. Flowers solitary. Pedicel ca. 1 cm, articulate near middle. Calyx tube tubular-campanulate 0.9--1.2 cm, glabrous or tomentose. Corolla yellow, ca. 2.5 cm; standard broadly ovate, claw short, apex minutely emarginate; wings with claw ca. 1/2 as long as limb, auricle short and dentiform; keel with a claw as long as limb, auricle inconspicuous. Ovary often glabrous. Legume cylindric, 4--5 cm X 4--5 mm. Fl. May--Jun, fr. Jul--Aug. 2n = 16.
Consolidated and semiconsolidated sand dunes, rocky mountain slopes; 1000--2000 m. Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol [Mongolia, Russia (Siberia)].
A polymorphic species and in some cases with transitional forms. Hybrids between this species and Caragana korshinskii may occur where these species are sympatric.
Planted for dune stabilization and for conservation of soil and water.
39. Caragana potaninii Komarov, Trudy Imp. S.-Petersburgsk. Bot. Sada 29: 352. 1909.
五台锦鸡儿 wu tai jin ji er
Caragana microphylla Lamarck var. potaninii (Komarov) Y. X. Liou ex L. Z. Shue.
Shrubs, small, thorny. Branches brownish to brownish olive. Stipules spinelike, 1.5--5 mm, ± deflected hooklike. Leaves pinnate, with 8--12(or 14) leaflets; petiole and rachis caducous; leaflet blades obovate to rarely almost elliptic, 5--17 X 3.5--7 mm, grayish when dry, both surfaces adpressed pubescent, apex emarginate. Flowers 1 or 2 in a fascicle. Pedicel 7--12 mm. Calyx usually broadly campanulate to rarely tubular-campanulate, ± pubescent or rarely glabrous. Corolla 2--2.3 cm; standard ovate, gradually or sharply narrowed into a relatively wide to narrow claw; wings with claw shorter than limb; keel with a claw as long as limb. Ovary glabrous or sparsely appressed pubescent. Legume cylindric, 4--6 cm X ca. 5 mm, usually obliquely erect. Fl. Apr--May, fr. Jun--Jul.
* Rocky mountain slopes; 1000--1400 m. Hebei, Nei Mongol, Shanxi (Wutai Shan).
40. Caragana liouana Zhao Y. Chang & Yakovlev, nom. and stat. nov.
中间锦鸡儿 zhong jian jin ji er
Based on Caragana korshinskii Komarov var. ordosica Yakovlev, Bot. Zhurn. 69: 358. 1984.
Shrubs to 1.5(--2) m tall. Branches yellowish gray-green. Stipules spinelike, 4--7 mm. Leaves pinnate, with 6--16 leaflets; petiole and rachis 4--7 mm and persistent on long branchlets; leaflet blades elliptic to obovate-elliptic, 3--10 X 4--6 mm, whitish green, both surfaces villous, apex rounded, acute, or rarely truncate. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 1--1.6 cm, articulate apically from middle. Calyx tube campanulate, 7--12 mm. Corolla yellow, 2--2.5 cm; standard broadly ovate to suborbicular, claw ca. 1/4--1/3 as long as limb; wings oblong, claw nearly as long as limb, auricle not prominent. Ovary glabrous. Legume lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 2.5--3.5 cm X 6--7 mm, flat, apex acute. Fl. May, fr. Jun. 2n = 16.
* Consolidated and semiconsolidated sand dunes; 900--2400 m. Gansu, N Hebei, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Shaanxi, W Shanxi.
Most plants identified in herbaria as Caragana intermedia and treated as such in FRPS 42(1): 47. 1993 belong here, but the type of C. intermedia is synonymous with C. korshinskii. Because the specific epithet “ordosica” is already occupied in Caragana, a replacement name is used in recognition of Professor Liou Yingxin for her work on the Caragana of China.
41. Caragana korshinskii Komarov, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 29: 351. 1909.
柠条锦鸡儿 ning tiao jin ji er
Caragana intermedia Kuang & H. C. Fu; C. korshinskii f. brachypoda Y. X. Liou; C. korshinskii var. intermedia (Kuang & H. C. Fu) M. L. Zhang & G. H. Zhu; C. microphylla Lamarck var. tomentosa Komarov.
Shrubs or trees, 1--4 m tall. Branches golden yellow, shiny; branchlets pubescent. Stipules spinelike, 3--7 mm. Leaves pinnate, with 12--16 leaflets; petiole and rachis 3--5 cm, caducous; leaflet blades lanceolate to narrowly oblong, 7--8 X 2--7 mm, whitish, both surfaces densely appressed sericeous, apex acute to obtuse. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 0.6--1.5 cm, articulate apically. Calyx tube tubular-campanulate, 8--9 mm. Corolla 2--2.3 cm; standard broadly ovate to suborbicular, claw short, apex truncate to slightly emarginate; wings with claw slightly shorter than limb, auricle small and dentiform; keel with long claw, auricle very small. Ovary glabrous. Legume lanceolate, 2--2.5 cm X 6--7 mm, flat. Fl. May--Jun, fr. Jun--Jul. 2n = 16.
Semiconsolidated sand dunes; 900--2400 m. Gansu, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, W Shanxi, Xinjiang. [Mongolia].
Although the type of Caragana intermedia is synonymous with C. korshinskii, most specimens identified in herbaria as C. intermedia and treated as such in FRPS 42(1): 47. 1993 are misidentified and actually are C. liouana.
42. Caragana leucophloea Pojarkova, Fl. URSS 11: 399. 1941.
白皮锦鸡儿 bai pi jin ji er
Caragana aurantiaca Koehne var. deserticola Komarov.
Shrubs to 1.5 m tall. Branches yellowish white to yellow; current year branchlets purplish red. Leaves digitate, with 4 leaflets; petiole 5--8 mm and persistent on long branchlets, absent and leaves clustered on short branchlets; leaflet blades narrowly oblanceolate, 4--12 X 1--3 mm, green, pale green, or reddish, both surfaces glabrous or appressed pubescent, apex acute to obtuse. Flowers solitary or 2 in a fascicle. Pedicel 3--15 mm, glabrous, articulate basally or apically from middle. Calyx tube campanulate, 5--6 mm. Corolla yellow; standard broadly obovate, 1.3--1.8 cm, claw short; wings with claw ca. 1/3 as long as limb, auricle ca. 2/3 as long as claw; keel with claw slightly shorter than limb, auricle obtuse and ca. 2 mm. Ovary glabrous. Legume cylindric, 3--3.5 cm, glabrous. Fl. May--Jun, fr. Jul--Aug.
Dry slopes, desert valleys; 900--2700 m. N Gansu, Nei Mongol, Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Mongolia].
43. Caragana pygmaea (Linnaeus) Candolle, Prodr. 2. 268. 1825.
矮锦鸡儿ai jin ji er
Shrubs to 50 cm tall. Branches golden yellow, shiny, pubescent when young but gradually glabrescent. Leaves digitate, with 4 leaflets; petiole 4--6 mm and persistent on long branchlets, absent and leaves clustered on short branchlets; leaflet blades oblanceolate to linear, (5--)7--17(--30) X 1--3 mm, both surfaces glabrous, apex obtuse to acute. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 0.6--2 cm, articulate basally or apically from middle, glabrous or pubescent. Calyx tube tubular-campanulate, 5--6 mm. Corolla yellow, 1--1.6 cm; standard broadly obovate, claw ca. 1/3 as long as limb; wings oblong, inflated toward apex, auricle short; keel with claw as long as limb, auricle obtuse. Ovary densely pubescent. Legume linear, 2--3 cm, pubescent when young, glabrescent. Fl. May, fr. Jun. 2n = 16.
Sandy areas, rocky slopes, hilly areas among rocks; 900--1300 m. Hebei, Nei Mongol, Xinjiang [Mongolia, E Russia].
1a. Pedicel with articulate basally from middle; flowers 1--1.5 cm ......................................................... 43c. var. parviflora
1b. Pedicel with articulate near middle; flowers 1.5--1.6 cm.
2a. Branchlets stout, pubescent when young, gradually glabrescent; leaflets narrowly oblanceolate, ca. 3 mm wide ............................................................................................................................................................. 43a. var. pygmaea
2b. Branchlets slender, densely pubescent; leaflets linear, ca. 1 mm wide ............................. 43b. var. angustissima
43a. Caragana pygmaea var. pygmaea
矮锦鸡儿(原变种) ai jin ji er (yuan bian zhong)
Robinia pygmaea Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 723. 1753; Caragana pygmaea f. longifolia Komarov.
Branchlets pubescent when young, glabrescent. Leaflet blades oblanceolate, ca. 3 mm wide. 2n = 16.
Sandy areas; ca. 1200 m. Nei Mongol, Xinjiang [Mongolia, E Russia].
43b. Caragana pygmaea var. angustissima C. K. Schneider, Ill. Handb. Laubholzk. 2: 102. 1907.
窄叶矮锦鸡儿 zhuai ye ai jin ji er
Caragana stenophylla Pojarkova var. sericea H. C. Fu.
Branchlets glaucous, densely pubescent. Leaflet blades linear, 5--10(--30) X ca. 1 mm.
* Sandy areas; 900--1300 m. Nei Mongol.
43c. Caragana pygmaea var. parviflora H. C. Fu, Fl. Intramongol. 3: 287. 1977[1978].
小花矮锦鸡儿 xiao hua ai jin ji er
Leaflet blades linear-oblanceolate, 5--10 mm. Flowers 1--1.5 cm. Pedicel with articulate basally from middle.
* Rocky slopes, hilly areas among rocks. Nei Mongol.
44. Caragana altaica (Komarov) Pojarkova, Fl. URSS 11: 345. 1941.
阿尔泰锦鸡儿 a er tai jin ji er
Caragana pygmaea (Linnaeus) Candolle var. altaica Komarov, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 29: 242. 1909; C. pygmaea subsp. altaica (Komarov) Bondareva.
Shrubs to 1 m tall. Bark yellow. Branchlets whitish green when young, glabrous. Leaves digitate, with 4 leaflets; petiole 4--8 mm on long branchlets but absent on short branches; leaflet blades narrowly obovate to oblanceolate, 5--15(--23) X 2--3 mm, pubescent when young and glabrate when mature. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 1.2--2.5 cm, articulate somewhat basally from middle. Calyx tube tubular-campanulate, 5--7 X 4--5 mm. Corolla yellow, 1.8--2 cm; standard obovate to suborbicular, claw 1/3--1/4 as long as limb; wings oblong, somewhat dilated toward apex, claw ca. 1/2 as long as limb, auricle 1/5--1/4 as long as claw; keel with claw 1/3--1/2 as long as limb, auricle short. Legume cylindric, 2--3.5 cm, glabrous. Fl. May--Jun, fr. Jun--Jul. 2n = 16.
Stony slopes, rocky areas; 800--1300 m. N Xinjiang [Mongolia]
45. Caragana aurantiaca Koehne, Deutsche Dendrol. 340. 1893.
镰叶锦鸡儿 lian ye jin ji er
Caragana aurantiaca var. conferta Komarov.
Shrubs to 1 m tall. Bark greenish brown to dark gray, shiny. Branchlets strong and long. Leaves digitate, with 4 leaflets; petiole and rachis 3--5 mm on long branchlets but absent on short branchlets; leaflet blades linear to lanceolate-linear, 4--16 X 1--2 mm, falcate, glabrous. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 6--9 mm, articulate basally from middle. Calyx tube campanulate, 6--7 mm. Corolla orange, 1.8--2 cm; standard suborbicular, claw 1/4--1/3 as long as limb, apex rounded to emarginate; wings narrowly oblong, claw ca. 1/2 as long as limb, auricle ca. 3/4 to ± as long as claw; keel with claw shorter than limb, auricle short. Ovary glabrous. Legume cylindric, 2.5--4 cm, slightly compressed, glabrous. Fl. Jun--Jul, fr. Aug. 2n = 16.
Rocky slopes, bottomland near riversides, forest margins; 1000--1100 m. Xinjiang [Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan; SW Asia].
46. Caragana pumila Pojarkova, Fl. URSS 11: 346. 1941.
草原锦鸡儿 cao yuan jin ji er
Shrubs 30--60 cm tall. Branchlets yellowish green with brown stripes, puberulent when young. Leaves digitate, with 4 leaflets; petiole 4--6 mm and persistent on long branchlets, absent on short branchlets; leaflet blades narrowly oblanceolate to linear-oblanceolate, 4--12 X 0.5--1.2 mm, dark green but abaxially tinged ± reddish, pubescent when young. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 0.8--1.5 cm, articulate at or near middle. Calyx tube tubular, 4--6 mm. Corolla yellow, 1.5--2 cm; standard ovate to obovate, claw 1/5--1/6 as long as limb; wings with claw ca. 1/3 as long as limb, auricle ca. 2/3 as long as claw; keel with claw slightly shorter than limb, auricle small, short, and obtuse. Ovary linear, ca. 1.5 cm, glabrous. Legume ca. 2.5 cm. Fl. May--Jun, fr. Jun--Jul.
Mountain steppes, rocky slopes; 1200--1500 m. Xinjiang (Wenquan, Bole) [Kazakhstan].
47. Caragana versicolor Bentham in Royle, Ill. Bot. Himal. Mts. 198. t. 34(2). 1835.
变色锦鸡儿bian se jin ji er
Shrubs to 80 cm tall. Bark brown to dark brown. Stipule spines 1--4 mm on long branchlets. Leaves digitate, with 4 leaflets; petiole 5--10 mm and persistent on long branchlets, absent on short branchlets; leaflet blades narrowly lanceolate, obovate-cuneate, or linear, 5--7 X 1--1.5 mm, green to grayish green, glabrous. Flowers solitary. Pedicel ca. 5 mm, articulate basally. Calyx tube tubular, 5--6 mm. Corolla yellow, 1.1--1.2 cm; standard suborbicular, abaxially reddish brown, claw ca. 1/2 as long as limb; wings with claw shorter than limb, auricle ca. 1/4 as long as claw; keel with claw ± as long as limb, auricle ca. 1 mm. Legume 2--2.5 cm, apex acute. Fl. May--Jun, fr. Jul--Aug. 2n = 18, 16+2B.
Rocky slopes, riversides, among shrubs; 3000--4900 m. Qinghai, W Sichuan, Xizang [Afghanistan, NW India, Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan; SW Asia].
48. Caragana stenophylla Pojarkova, Fl. URSS 11: 397. 1941.
狭叶锦鸡儿xia ye jin ji er
Caragana pygmaea (Linnaeus) Candolle var. pallasiana Komarov; C. stenophylla var. parviflora Zhan Wang & H. C. Fu.
Shrubs to 80 cm tall. Bark grayish green, yellowish brown, or dark brown. Stipule spines 4--7 mm on long branchlets. Leaves digitate, with 4 leaflets; petiole 4--7 mm and persistent on long branchlets, absent on short branchlets; leaflet blades linear-lanceolate to linear, 4--11 X 1--2 mm, both surfaces green to grayish green. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 5--10 mm, articulate slightly basally from middle. Calyx tube campanulate-tubular, 4--6 mm. Corolla yellow but standard orangish brown at middle; standard orbicular to broadly obovate, 0.8--1.8(--2) cm, claw broad and short; wings with claw ca. 1/2 as long as limb, auricle elliptic and 1/4--1/2 as long as claw; keel with a claw longer than limb, auricle obtuse. Ovary glabrous. Legume cylindric, 2--2.5 cm. Fl. Apr--Jun, fr. Jul--Aug. 2n = 32.
Sandy areas, stony slopes, loess hills; 600--2500 m. Gansu, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, E Qinghai, Shaanxi, N Shanxi [Mongolia, E Russia].
49. Caragana kirghisorum Pojarkova, Fl. URSS 11: 396. 1941.
囊萼锦鸡儿nang e jin ji er
Shrubs to 1 m tall. Branches grayish brown; current year branchlets grayish brown to bright gray. Leaves digitate, with 4 leaflets; petiole 4--12 mm and persistent on long branchlets, 1--3 mm and caducous on short branchlets; leaflet blades obovate, elliptic-obovate, or oblanceolate, 4--9 X 1.5--3 mm, glabrous, base cuneate, apex sharply acute. Flowers solitary or rarely 2 in a fascicle. Pedicel 1.2--1.4 cm, articulate near middle. Calyx tube tubular, 1.2--1.3 cm, base saccate. Corolla yellow but standard and keel purple on anthesis, 2.7--3.2 cm; standard obovate, 1.3--1.7 cm, base gradually narrowing into a claw, apex rounded to slightly emarginate; wings with claw nearly as long as limb, auricle acute; keel with claw longer than limb, auricle obtuse dentiform. Ovary glabrous. Legume linear, 2.5--5 cm, glabrous, apex acuminate. Fl. May--Jun, fr. Jul--Aug.
Rocky slopes on foothills, stony lands, river banks; 700--1100 m. Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan].
50. Caragana brachypoda Pojarkova, Bot. Mater. Gerb. Bot. Inst. Komarova Acad. Nauk SSSR 13: 135. 1950.
矮脚锦鸡儿 ai jiao jin ji er
Shrubs to 30 cm tall. Bark yellowish brown to grayish brown. Current year branchlets brown to yellowish brown. Leaves digitate, with 4 leaflets; petiole 4--10 mm and persistent on long branchlets, absent on short branchlets; leaflet blades oblanceolate, 2--10 X 1--3 mm, both surfaces pubescent, apex acute. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 2--5 mm, articulate basally. Calyx reddish purple to greenish brown, 0.9--1.1 cm, base gibbous. Corolla yellow but with orange or purple at middle, 2--2.5 cm, apex slightly emarginate; wings with claw ± as long as limb, apex oblique truncate, auricle small and short; keel as long as wings, claw long, auricle short. Ovary glabrous. Legume spindlelike, 2--3.5 cm, turgid, glabrous, apex acuminate. Fl. Apr--May, fr. Jun--Jul. 2n = 16, 32.
Base of hills, stony areas, sand dunes; 900--2000 m. Gansu, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Shaanxi (Dingbian Xian) [S Mongolia].
51. Caragana kansuensis Pojarkova, Bot. Mater. Gerb. Bot. Inst. Komarova Acad. Nauk SSSR 13. 138. 1950.
甘肃锦鸡儿gan su jin ji er
Shrubs to 60 cm tall. Branches grayish brown. Leaves digitate, with 4 leaflets; petiole 4--10 mm and persistent on long branchlets, 2--4 mm and caducous on short branchlets; leaflet blades linear-oblanceolate, 5--12 X 1--2 mm, both surfaces glabrous or pilose, apex acute. Flowers solitary. Pedicel 5--12 mm, articulate apically. Calyx tube tubular, 6--9 mm, base gibbous. Corolla yellow but standard with straw-colored spots at middle, 2