15 cm ruler for scale

An erect plant, typically with many stems from the crown, and a few branches on each stem. Flowers are pink to purple, grow in long racemes, and droop down. Racemes measured to 13 cm, flowers measured to 1.5 cm. Leaves alternate on the stem, pinnate, we counted up to 23 leaflets. Leaf in above photo was 11 cm long (including petiole) and 4 cm wide). Leaflets are oblong, leaflet measured at 28 mm long and 7 mm wide.

Habitat ranges from prairie in the south to open woods in the boreal forest. Common.

Height listed in Budd's Flora to 80 cm, we measured plants to 63 cm tall.

There are 2 Hedysarum species native to Saskatchewan. The other is Hedysarum boreale. That plant has silvery foliage, its flowers do not droop, and its calyx lobes are linear. Whereas H. alpinum has green foliage, flowers which droop, and calyx lobes which are broad at their base.

The above photos were taken in July 3rd, edge of mixed woods, boreal forest, about 400 km north of our home in Regina, SK.

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