Plants clump-forming, 10–70(–75) cm, usually sparsely strig­ulose, sometimes pilosulous; from branched, superficial cau­dex. Stems usually erect or ascending, sometimes decumbent, rarely prostrate, usu­ally sparsely strigulose, sometimes pilosulous. Leaves 2–9 cm; stipules connate-sheathing and papery at proxi­mal nodes, connate or distinct and herbaceous or sub­membranous at distal nodes, usually black or blackish when dry, 1.5–7 mm; leaflets 11–21, blades narrowly oblong to elliptic, linear, oblanceolate, or obovate, 3–24 mm, apex acute to obtuse, mucronate, or emar­ginate, surfaces sparsely strigose abaxially, glabrous adaxially. Peduncles nar­rowly ascending or incurved, 0.2–4 cm. Racemes (1–)3–23-flowered, often paired in leaf axils, flowers ascending; axis 0.5–11 cm in fruit; bracts 0.5–2.7 mm; bracteoles 0–2. Pedicels 0.7–3.2 mm. Flowers 6–9(–11) mm; calyx 2.6–5.2 mm, strigose, tube 2–2.7 mm, lobes subulate, 0.7–2.5 mm; corolla usually white to ochroleucous, sometimes pink-purple; banner recurved through 40°; keel 4.3–5.7(–6.5) mm. Legumes pen­dulous, green, often brown- or red-mottled, becoming brown or black, straight or curved, ellipsoid to oblong, laterally flattened, 7–16 × 2.5–4.5 mm, papery, usually glabrous, sometimes strigose; stipe 0.6–6 mm. Seeds 3–9. 2n = 16, 24.

Phenology: Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat: Grasslands, shrublands, open forests.
Elevation: 300–3200 m.

Distribution

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Alta., B.C., Man., N.W.T., Sask., Yukon, Colo., Idaho, Minn., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.Mex., N.Dak., Oreg., S.Dak., Utah, Wash., Wyo.

Discussion

The stipitate, laterally flattened fruits disposed in very loose, sometimes paired, always very shortly peduncu­late racemes are characteristic of Astragalus multiflorus.

The name Astragalus tenellus Pursh, widely used for this species, is not valid (J. L. Reveal et al. 2004).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.