Plants long-lived, mat- or cushion-forming, 10–35(–40+) cm, strigulose, hairs basifixed; from branched caudex. Stems strigulose. Leaves (1–)1.5–5.5 cm; stipules 2–5.5 mm, sub­herbaceous becoming papery; leaflets (7 or)9–15, not crowded, blades obovate- or oblong-elliptic, 0.7–10 mm, apex abruptly acuminate, surfaces pilosulous. Peduncles erect, 1.5–3.5(–4) cm, shorter than leaves. Racemes 4–10-flowered, flowers ascending-spreading; axis 3–15 mm in fruit; bracts 2–3.5 mm; bracteoles 0. Pedicels 0.9–1.5 mm. Flowers 7.3–10 mm; calyx 4.5–6.9 mm, pilosulous, tube 2.5–3.8 mm, lobes subulate, 1.5–3.1 mm; corolla whitish, fading ochro­leucous; banner recurved through 40°. Legumes ascending, humistrate, obliquely semi-ovoid, com­pressed, 6 × 3 mm, papery, strigulose. Seeds 4–6.

Distribution

sw United States.

Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Astragalus chuskanus is restricted to the Chuska Mountains and vicinity in northeastern Arizona and northwestern New Mexico.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Astragalus chuskanus var. chuskanus, Astragalus chuskanus var. spellenbergii

Key

1	Leaflet blades convex, keeled, surfaces conspic­uously gray-hairy; calyces 4.5–5.3 mm, tubes 2.5–3.2 mm, lobes 1.5–2.6 mm; banners 7.3–8 mm.	Astragalus chuskanus var. chuskanus
1	Leaflet blades flat, not keeled, surfaces incon­spicuously gray-hairy; calyces 5.5–6.9 mm, tubes 3–3.8, lobes 2–3.1 mm; banners 8–10 mm.	Astragalus chuskanus var. spellenbergii