Astragalus callithrix
Leafl. W. Bot. 3: 103, plate 1, fig. C. 1942.
Plants sometimes short-lived, often flowering first year, loosely tuft-forming, subacaulescent, 2–20(–30) cm, densely white-pilose, hairs basifixed, straight, narrowly ascending; from caudex. Stems prostrate, 0–15 cm, internodes often concealed by stipules, densely white-pilose. Leaves 2–11 cm; stipules 2–5 mm, submembranous; leaflets 9–21, blades obovate, suborbiculate, or lanceolate, 2–13 mm, apex obtuse to truncate or emarginate, surfaces villous. Peduncles erect or arcuate-ascending, spreading or procumbent in fruit, 2–8(–12) cm. Racemes 5–15-flowered, flowers ascending; axis 0.5–6 cm in fruit; bracts 3–7.5 mm; bracteoles 0–2. Pedicels 1–1.5 mm. Flowers 16–26 mm; calyx purplish, cylindric, 6.8–13.3 mm, villous-pilose, tube 5.5–10.8 mm, lobes subulate, 1–3.2 mm; corolla bright pink-purple; banner recurved through 40°; keel (12–)13–20.7 mm. Legumes ascending-spreading, stramineous, incurved, oblong-ovoid, dorsiventrally compressed, 10–20 × 5–7.5 mm, unilocular, fleshy becoming leathery, hirsute, longest hairs 2–2.5 mm, not obscuring surface. Seeds 24–34.
Phenology: Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat: Sandy flats and dunes in mixed desert shrub and juniper communities.
Elevation: 1500–1800 m.
Distribution
Nev., Utah.
Discussion
Astragalus callithrix, a Great Basin endemic from Millard County, Utah, and Nye County, Nevada, is associated with the so-called warm point at the south ends of some mountain ranges, where wind-blown sand accumulates along the eastern sides of valleys.
Selected References
None.