Table 1.

Morphological comparisons of Oxytropis shennongjiaensis with related species.

Characters	O. shennongjiaensis	O. sitaipaiensis	O. melanocalyx	O. kansuensis
Plant height	10–15 cm tall	10–13 cm tall	5–17 cm tall	12–40(–60) cm tall
Branches	Stems with less conspicuous internodes, 3–15 cm long.	Stems with 2 or more conspicuous internodes.	Stems with (0 or)1–4 conspicuous internodes.	Stems with (3 or)4 or 5 conspicuous internodes.
Stipules	Stipules ovate, 7–10 mm long, herbaceous and margin scarious.	Stipules narrowly triangular, 3–5 mm long, membranous.	Stipules ovate-triangular, herbaceous.	Stipules narrowly triangular, 5 mm long, herbaceous.
Leaves	Leaves with sparsely subappressed white trichomes.	Leaves with sparsely white trichomes.	Leaves with sparse yellow, white and black long trichomes.	Leaves with glabrescent or sparsely spreading white villous.
Racemes	Racemes rather lax, 3–6-flowered; peduncle 2.5–4.5 cm long.	Racemes rather lax, 3–5-flowered; peduncle 5–6 cm long.	Racemes compact, 3–10(–15)-flowered; peduncle 5.5–14 cm long.	Racemes compact, 3–15-flowered; peduncle 7–21(–30) cm long.
Bracts	Bracts ovate, 6–8 mm long, membranous.	Bracts subulate, ca. 2 mm long, membranous.	Bracts longer than pedicels, membranous.	Bracts triangular, 6–7 mm long, membranous.
Calyx	Calyx 9–11 × 2–4 mm; lobes subulate, 4–5 mm long.	Calyx ca. 4 × 3 mm; lobes linear, 2–3 mm long.	Calyx ca. 4–9 × 2–3.5 mm; lobes lanceolate-linear, 2.5–4.7 mm long.	Calyx 6.5–11.5 × 2–4 mm, lobes subulate, 2–8 mm long.
Flowers	Corolla pale yellow to white; standard 16–18 mm long, lamina broadly ovate, 12–13 × 10–11 mm, apex emarginate to 2-lobed, margin lightly undulately entire or with irregular repand teeth; wings 12–15 mm long, lamina obovate; keel 15 mm long, beak 3 mm long.	Corolla purplish; standard ca. 11 × 3 mm, lamina elliptic; wings ca. 10 mm long, lamina oblong; keel ca. 9.5 mm long, beak ca. 1.5 mm long.	Corolla blue; standard 10 × 14 mm, lamina broadly ovate, apex rounded to 2-lobed; wings 7–11 mm long, apex rounded to emarginate; keel ca. 7–11 mm long, beak ca. 0.2–1.1 mm long.	Corolla yellow or pale yellow; standard 10–17 mm long, lamina ovate, apex emarginate; wings 8–15 mm long, lamina obovate; keel 8–13 mm long, beak 0.2–1 mm long.
Legume	Legume stipitate; stipe 5–7 mm long; body 20–25 × 5–7 mm, erect, inflated and slightly flattened, sparsely white trichomes; beak 3–5 mm long.	Legume stipitate; stipe ca. 7 mm; body ca. 23 × 4 mm, inflated and slightly flattened, with dense white short trichomes; beak 3 mm long.	Legume sessile or with a stipe; body 15–20 × 7–12 mm, pendulous, inflated, with long trichomes.	Legume shortly stipitate; stipe 1–1.5 mm; body 8–12 × 3–10.5 mm, inflated.
Distribution	Hubei (Shennongjia National Park)	Shaanxi	Gansu, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan.	Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Xizang