Caragana aurantiaca Koehne

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / parasite
anamorph of Microsphaera palczewskii parasitises live leaf of Caragana aurantiaca

Shrub, c. 1 m tall, young branches glabrous to subglabrous, bark greenish grey or brownish grey. Leaf digitately compound, rachis soon becomes indurated and transformed into spines, c. 5-10 mm long, persistent for 2-3 years; leaflets c. 8-17 (-23) mm long, c. 1.5-2.5 (-4) mm broad, narrowly oblanceolate to linear-oblanceolate, acute or acuminate, apiculate, glabrous; stipules becoming indurated and spiny, 2-6 mm long. Inflorescence solitary axillary, pedicel slightly longer than the peduncle, c. 4-8.5 mm long. Calyx c. 6-8 mm long, glabrous, teeth broadly triangular, c. 1.5 mm long. Corolla orange yellow. Vexillum c. 17-18 mm long, somewhat shorter than the wing and keel. Fruit 3-4 cm long, c. 3-4.5 mm broad, glabrous.

Distribution: Pakistan, Afghanistan; U.S.S.R., Tien Shan; Eastern or Chinese Turkistan.

Fl.Per.: June-July.

Perennial, Shrubs, Woody throughout, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems erect or ascending, Stems or branches arching, spreading or decumbent, Stems less than 1 m tall, Trunk or stems armed with thorns, spines or prickles, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs glabrous or sparsely glabrate, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Leaves alternate, Stipules inconspicuous, absent, or caducous, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules setiform, subulate or acicular, Stipules persistent, Stipules free, Stipules spinose or bristles, Leaves compound, Leaves palmately 2-3 foliate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets opposite, Leaflets 3, Leaflets 4, Leaves glabrous or nearly so, Flowers solitary in axils, or appearing solitary, Flowers in ax illary clusters or few-floweredracemes, 2-6 flowers, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx glabrous, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals orange or yellow, Banner petal ovoid or obovate, Banner petal suborbicular, broadly rounded, Banner petal auriculate, Wing petals narrow, oblanceolate to oblong, Wing tips obtuse or rounded, Keel tips obtuse or rounded, not beaked, Stamens 9-10, Stamens diadelphous, 9 united, 1 free, Filaments glabrous, Style terete, Fruit a legume, Fruit unilocular, Fruit freely dehiscent, Fruit elongate, straight, Fruit oblong or ellipsoidal, Fruit coriaceous or becoming woody, Fruit exserted from calyx, Valves twisting or coiling after dehiscence, Fruit beaked, Fruit glabrous or glabrate, Fruit 3-10 seeded, Seeds ovoid to rounded in outline, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black.