Plants clump-forming, 15–51 cm, strigose; from elongated, subterranean caudex, taproot deeply set. Stems forming rounded, birds-nestlike clumps, ascending to erect, many-branched, 3–14+ cm under­ground, strigose. Leaves 1.5–7 cm; stipules sometimes connate-sheathing at proximal nodes, mostly distinct, 1–6 mm, papery-membranous at proximal nodes, herbaceous at distal nodes; leaflets 5–11(or 13), blades linear or oblong, 2–20(–25) mm, apex obtuse to emar­ginate or acute, surfaces pubescent or adaxially glabrous; terminal leaflet of distal leaves decurrent and not jointed to rachis. Peduncles erect or incurved-ascending, 4–16(–28) cm. Racemes (3–)8–33-flowered, flowers ascend­ing to declined; axis 1.5–28 cm in fruit; bracts 1.2–2.2 mm; bracteoles 0–2. Pedicels 1.2–3 mm. Flowers (9–)10–15 mm; calyx campanulate, (3.5–)3.8–7 mm, black-strigose, tube (3–)3.3–5.5 mm, lobes subulate, (0.5–)1–2.2 mm; corolla pink-purple; banner recurved through 30–45°; keel (7.5–)8.4–10.3 mm, apex obtuse to subacute, not beaklike. Legumes pendulous, green or purple-tinged becoming brownish stramineous, straight or gently decurved, narrowly oblong, dorsiventrally compressed, 20–32 × 3.5–4.5 mm, thinly fleshy becom­ing stiffly papery, strigose; stipe (2.5–)3.5–6 mm. Seeds (16–)20–26.

Phenology: Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat: Pinyon-juniper and mixed desert shrub communities, on sandstone soils.
Elevation: 1300–1900 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Utah.

Discussion

Astragalus nidularius is known only from south­eastern Utah. It resembles an untidy bird’s nest; the entangled, interlocking branches form rounded clumps overtopped by the racemes.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.