Plants clump-forming, 8–25(–38+) cm, strigulose; from branched, superficial caudex. Stems ascending (and somewhat sprawling from the root-crown) to erect, strigulose. Leaves 3.2–22 cm; stipules 3–9 mm, mem­branous; leaflets (1 or)3–13, blades elliptic to rhombic, 7–23(–45) mm, apex acute to mucronate, surfaces sparsely strigose or glabrous. Peduncles incurved, 1.4–10 cm. Racemes 7–20-flowered, flowers spreading; axis 1–3 cm in fruit; bracts 2–4.5 mm; bracteoles 0. Pedicels 0.8–2.5 mm. Flowers 17–19 mm; calyx 6.7–10 mm, strigulose, tube 5.5–6.3 mm, lobes subulate, 1.8–3.1 mm; corolla white, concolorous, drying white or ochroleucous; banner recurved through 40–50°; keel 13 mm, apex blunt. Legumes spreading-declined, pallid-stramineous or brownish, straight or slightly incurved subcylindroid, inflated, 25–32(–38) × 10–15 mm, leathery, strigose; unilocular; sessile or subsessile. Seeds 38–44.

Phenology: Flowering Mar–Apr(–May).
Habitat: Seleniferous Jurassic Morrison and Permian Paradox formations in pinyon-juniper and salt desert shrub communities.
Elevation: 1500–2000 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Loading map...

Utah.

Discussion

Astragalus iselyi is a Navajo Basin endemic that occurs in the western foothills of the La Sal Mountains in Grand and San Juan counties. This early-flowering selenophyte was earlier confused with A. sabulosus because specimens were taken only in fruit. Seeds ger­minate readily after long periods in the soil, when condi­tions are favorable. Populations persist while moisture conditions are favorable, the cycle interrupted in years of drought.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.