Plants perennial, clump-forming, 15–50(–80) cm, villo­sulous; from superficial cau­dex. Stems decumbent or ascending, villosulous. Leaves 5.5–15 cm; stipules distinct, 1.5–8(–12) mm, herbaceous; leaflets (11–)17–27(or 29), blades oblong-oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, or obovate, (4–)7–22(–25) mm, apex acute or truncate and apiculate, or shallowly retuse, surfaces villosulous, sometimes sparsely so adaxially. Peduncles divaricate or incurved-ascending, 3.5–10(–12) cm. Racemes (8–)10–30(–35)-flowered, flowers declined; axis 3–15(–20) cm in fruit; bracts 1.5–3.5 mm; bracteoles 2. Pedicels 1–6.4 mm. Flowers 8.3–11.4 mm; calyx campanulate, 6.5–8.7 mm, densely villosulous, tube 3.6–4.5 mm, lobes lanceolate or subulate, 2.5–4.3 mm; corolla pale or greenish yellow; banner abruptly recurved through 90°; keel 7.5–9.1 mm, apex sharply triangular, sometimes obscurely beaklike. Legumes spreading to declined or ascending, pale green, usually red-cheeked, becoming stramineous, straight, broadly ovoid-ellipsoid, bladdery-inflated, somewhat obcompressed, 20–40 × 14–20 mm, thin becoming papery, sparsely to quite densely villo­sulous or strigulose-villosulous, hairs 1+ mm. Seeds 29–52.

Phenology: Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat: Open hillsides, chaparral burn sites, bare ridges, along gullied draws in grassy hillsides, on shale or sandstone substrates.
Elevation: 200–1000 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Loading map...

Calif.

Discussion

Astragalus macrodon is known from the inner South Coast Ranges from Monterey and San Benito counties southward to Ventura County.

Astragalus macrodon, a close match to A. douglasii and especially to var. parishii, grows on yellowish to tan weathered shale, a habitat not known to support any phase of A. douglasii.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.