Plants rushlike, 15–55 cm, stri­gose; from subterranean cau­dex. Stems erect or ascending, 2.5–10 cm under­ground, stri­gose. Leaves some or most reduced to phyllodia and con­tinuous with rachis, 1.5–10.5 cm; stipules distinct throughout, 2–7 mm, papery at proximal nodes, herbaceous at distal nodes; leaflets 0(or 3–7), blades linear to oblong, 2–14 mm, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces strigose; terminal leaflet decurrent distally, not jointed to rachis. Peduncles 4–23 cm. Racemes 6–25-flowered, flowers ascending; axis 3–19(–26) cm in fruit; bracts 1–1.5 mm; bracteoles 0–2. Pedicels 1–3 mm. Flowers 8.8–11.5 mm; calyx campanulate, 3.5–5.2 mm, black-strigose, tube 2.8–4.2 × 2.2–2.6 mm, lobes triangular, 0.5–1.2 mm; corolla pink-purple or tinged purplish or pinkish; banner recurved through 45°; keel 7.7–8.4 mm, apex obtuse to subacute, not beaklike. Legumes deflexed, brown or stramineous, slightly curved or straight, lanceoloid-oblong to oblong or lanceoloid-ellipsoid, laterally compressed, 20–35 × 5–9 mm, papery, glabrous or strigose; sessile or subsessile. Seeds 8–14.

Phenology: Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat: Sagebrush, Eriogonum, service­berry, blackbrush, and pinyon-juniper communities.
Elevation: 1200–1800 m.

Distribution

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Ariz., Utah.

Discussion

Astragalus lancearius has been included as a variety within the geographically contiguous A. episcopus, but the differences are as distinct as those of other relatives within sect. Lonchocarpi and subsect. Lancearii.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.