Plants 3–20 cm, sparsely strigulose-villosulous; caudex without thatch of persistent leaf bases. Stems prostrate to ascending, internodes well developed, sparsely strigulose-villosulous. Leaves 4–6 cm; stipules connate and scarious, 1.5–4 mm; leaflets (9 or)11–23, blades oblong-oblanceolate, -elliptic, or narrowly obovate, 1–6 mm, apex obtuse, surfaces strigulose-villosulous abaxially, glabrous adaxially. Peduncles ascending, 0.5–2.5 cm. Racemes 5–12-flowered; axis 1.5–4 cm in fruit; bracts 0.6–1.5 mm; bracteoles 0. Pedicels 0.8–1.3 mm. Flowers 4.5–5.5 mm; calyx 2.8–4 mm, strigulose, tube 1.5–2 mm, lobes subulate, 1–1.8 mm; corolla whitish, immaculate; banner recurved through 90°; keel 3.3–3.9 mm. Legumes pen­dulous, stramineous, lunate, oblong-ellipsoid, 3-sided compressed, 6–10.5 × 2–3 mm, thin becoming papery-membranous, finely strigulose; septum 1 mm wide; stipe 0.5–2.5 mm. Seeds 6–11.

Phenology: Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat: Dry sandy substrates among sagebrush.
Elevation: 2100–2700 m.

Distribution

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Calif., Nev.

Discussion

Astragalus johannis-howellii originally was thought to be endemic to Mono County, California, where the type locality and much of the population was inundated by the formation of Crowley Lake; it has subsequently been discovered to occur in adjacent Mineral County, Nevada.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.