Scientific Family
Fabaceae
Synonyms
Acmispon utahensis , Ottleya utahensis
Other common names
deervetch
Utah lotus
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
4 to 12 inches
Riparian
No
Herbaceous legume having an upright growth pattern, a taproot and a shallowly buried woody base. Many primary stems, most growing vertically but some trail on the ground. Potential use for rangeland restoration due to its nitrogen-fixing ability.
Stems nearly erect, internodes less than twice as long as the leaves; leaves pinnate, leaflets 3 to 6, 1/8 inch wide; sepals hairy and shorter than the floral tube, petals 1/3 inch long and yellow or orange, flower stems longer than the palmate leaves.
Habitat
Open habitats, pinyon-juniper woodlands, ponderosa pine and spruce-fir forests, sandy to stony soils.
Plant Community
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Montane Conifer Forest
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
3500
High elevation
9000
Flower Characteristics
Yellow flowers, tinged orange, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long; single or paired, rarely in threes; the outermost leaf-like sepals (calyx) are reddish or green with sharp, flat hairs; upper largest petal of the flower (banner) curves distinctly backwards.
Flower color
Yellow
Flower shape
Irregular
Tubular
Yes
First bloom month
June
Last bloom month
September
Flower clusters
Rounded
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Stems are gray or green and sparsely covered with short, flat, stiff hairs; stalkless leaves are widely spaced on the stem each having 3 to 6 narrow leaflets to 1-1/4 inches long and 1/8 inch wide.
Leaf type
Compound
Leaf color
Green to gray
Leaf shape
Palmate
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Narrow, oblong pod 3/4 to 1 inch long and 1/16 inch wide having many stiff, sharp, flat hairs to being nearly smooth. When pods reach maturity in mid-July, they split open lengthwise releasing several seeds.
Fruit type
Pod
Fruit color
Greenish-gray
Seeds measure less than 1/16 inch and can be speckled black or brown, dark brown, tan or green in color.