Plants cushion-forming, 1–3 dm wide, acaulescent or subacau­lescent, 0–1.5(–2) cm, silvery-pilose; from branched cau­dex; taproot stout. Stems obscured by stipules. Leaves 0.6–2 cm; stipules 3.5–7 mm, hyaline, glabrate or glabrous abaxially, ciliate; leaflet blades spatulate to elliptic, 3–7.5 mm, apex acute, surfaces silvery-pilose. Peduncles 0.7–1.5 cm. Racemes 2- or 3-flowered; axis very short; bracts 2–3 mm; bracteoles 0. Pedicels 1–1.5 mm. Flowers (5.8–)6.6–8 mm; calyx campanulate, 3.3–4.2 mm, densely pilose, tube 2.1–2.3 mm, lobes triangular-subulate, 1.2–2 mm; corolla usually pink-purple, rarely white; banner recurved through 90°, obovate-cuneate, (5.8–)6.6–8 mm; wings (5.7–)6–6.8 mm; keel 4.1–4.5 mm, apex bluntly deltate. Legumes ascending, ovoid-ellipsoid, slightly compressed, 4–5 × 1.2–2 mm, papery, densely silky-strigose or silky-pilose. Seeds 6–10.

Phenology: Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat: Clay bluffs, eroded banks, on sandstone or limestone bedrock.
Elevation: 1200–2400 m.

Distribution

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Colo., Mont., Utah, Wyo.

Discussion

Astragalus aretioides is similar to A. sericoleucus, but has slightly larger flowers borne mostly in pairs. It occurs mostly to the west of A. sericoleucus in south-central Montana, western Wyoming, northeastern Utah, and Moffat County in northwestern Colorado.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.