Plants short-lived, sometimes flowering first year, tuft-forming, acaulescent or sub­acau­lescent, strigose, hairs malpighian; from caudex, with persistent leaf bases. Stems obsolete, obscured by stipules. Leaves (3–)4–10(–16) cm; stip­ules 3–9 mm; leaflets (1–)5–11(or 13), blades elliptic or lanceolate-elliptic, (5–)7–17(–32) mm, apex acute or subobtuse, surfaces pubescent. Peduncles (1–)2–6(–9) cm. Racemes 3–10-flowered, flowers ascending; axis 0.4–1.5(–2) cm in fruit. Flowers 18–24 mm; calyx cylindric, 11–14.5 mm, strigose, tube 8.5–11 mm, lobes subulate, 2–3.5(–4) mm; corolla ochroleucous, suffused or lined with purple, or suffused with pink fading purple; banner recurved through 40°; keel 16–18 mm. Legumes deciduous from receptacle, dehiscent through gaping beak after falling, ascending (humistrate), purplish-mottled, shallowly lunate-incurved, lanceoloid-ellipsoid, somewhat laterally compressed, 24–40 × 8–15 mm, unilocular, moderately fleshy becoming stiffly papery or leathery, not pithy, densely strigose, hairs short. Seeds 40.

Phenology: Flowering late Apr–early Jun.
Habitat: Sandy soils of valley benches, in gullied foothills, on rocks of Cretaceous Mancos Shale formation, Triassic Moenkopi and Cutler formations, and Permian White Rim formation, with Atriplex, shadscale, woody aster, budsage, blackbrush, and pinyon-juniper.
Elevation: 1300–1800 m.

Distribution

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Colo., Utah.

Discussion

Astragalus piscator occurs in southeastern Grand, northern San Juan, eastern Wayne, and central Emery counties in Utah, and adjacent Mesa County in Colorado.

The habit and laterally-compressed legumes (at maturity) of Astragalus piscator are similar to those of A. cymboides but it is distinguished by larger flowers and fruit.

Astragalus piscator is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.