Plants clump-forming, 40–90 cm, pilose-tomentulose; from superficial or shallow, sub­ter­ranean caudex. Stems erect or ascending, fistulose, pilose-tomentulose or white-lanate, rarely white-tomentulose. Leaves 3–13(–15) cm; stipules connate-sheathing at proximal nodes, connate or distinct at distal nodes, 3–12 mm, papery-membranous becoming scarious; mostly sessile; leaflets (23–)27–41, blades narrowly oblong to oblong, oblong-elliptic, or linear-lanceolate, (2–)5–30 mm, apex obtuse or emarginate and apiculate, surfaces pilose-tomentulose. Peduncles erect or incurved-ascending, 2–10 cm. Racemes many-flowered, flowers declined and retrorsely imbricate in spikelike heads, 20–70(–90) × 18–23 mm; axis 2.5–8(–9.5) cm in fruit; bracts (1.2–)1.6–4 mm; bracteoles 0. Pedicels 0.7–1.8 mm. Flowers 7–10 mm; calyx ovoid-campanulate, 5.4–7.8 mm, villosulous, tube 3.7–5.2 mm, lobes ± subulate, 1.2–3 mm; corolla greenish white or cream; keel 7.1–9.1 mm. Legumes deflexed or declined, green becoming stra­mineous or brownish, ovoid-lenticular, slightly inflated, somewhat compressed laterally, 6–11 × 3.5–6 mm, thin becoming papery, somewhat lustrous, glabrous or sparsely strigulose; sessile. Seeds (2 or)3–12.

Distribution

California.

Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Astragalus pycnostachyus var. lanosissimus, Astragalus pycnostachyus var. pycnostachyus

Key

1	Peduncles (3–)4–10 cm; calyx tubes 3.7–5.2 mm, lobes subulate, 1.7–3 mm; legumes 6–9(–10) mm; seeds (2 or)3–5; Humboldt to San Mateo counties, California.	Astragalus pycnostachyus var. pycnostachyus
1	Peduncles 2–4 cm; calyx tubes 3–3.5 mm, lobes broader and shorter, 1.2–1.5 mm; legumes 8–11 mm; seeds 8–12; Ventura to Orange counties, California.	Astragalus pycnostachyus var. lanosissimus