Plants slender, forming bushy clumps, (5–)8–41 cm, villosu­lous; from superficial or shallow, subterranean caudex. Stems erect or ascending, villosulous. Leaves (4–)5–14 cm; stipules 3–5 mm, papery; leaflets (17–)21–27(–33), blades oblong, obovate-cuneate, or oblanceo­late, 4–14 mm, apex obtuse to truncate-retuse, surfaces villosulous, sometimes sparsely so adaxially. Peduncles erect, 5.5–18 cm. Racemes 10–25-flowered; axis 5–12.5 cm in fruit; bracts 1–2.5 mm; bracteoles 0. Pedicels 1–4.5 mm. Flowers 6.5–8.5 mm; calyx 5–7.5 mm, strigose, tube 2.5–3.5 mm, lobes triangular, 0.7–1.1 mm; corolla ochroleucous, immaculate; banner recurved through 50–85°; keel 8.2–12 mm. Legumes pendulous, stramineous, lunate, lanceoloid, 3-sided compressed, lateral face flat, dorsal face grooved, (16–)20–30 × 3–4.5(–5) mm, length 5–7 times width, stiffly papery, villosulous; septum 2–3 mm wide; stipe (4–)7–12(–14) mm. Seeds (11–)13–21.

Phenology: Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat: Dry grassy hills, sandy or stony substrates overlying basalt, under low brush.
Elevation: 500–1100 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Oreg., Wash.

Discussion

Astragalus howellii occurs in north-central and northeastern Oregon with historical collections from Columbia, Franklin, Walla Walla, and Whitman counties in southwestern Washington.

The varieties in Astragalus howellii recognized by C. L. Hitchcock (1961b) and D. Isely (1998) are herein included in A. misellus, following the treatment by R. C. Barneby (1964).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.