Astragalus pseudiodanthus
Leafl. W. Bot. 3: 99, plate 1, fig. B. 1942.
Plants perennial, caulescent, 20–30 cm, villosulous or villous, hairs 0.7–1.2 mm; from shallow to deep subterranean branched caudex. Stems prostrate to decumbent, radiating, villosulous or villous. Leaves 2.5–5 cm; stipules 2–5 mm, membranous; leaflets (7–)11–19, blades obovate-cuneate, 3–10 mm, apex obtuse to retuse, surfaces villous abaxially, glabrous adaxially. Peduncles ascending or incurved, 2–3.5 cm. Racemes (7–)12–25-flowered, flowers spreading to declined; axis 2.5–8(–11) cm in fruit; bracts 0.6–1.5 mm; bracteoles 0. Pedicels 0.5–1.8 mm. Flowers 9–10 mm; calyx campanulate, 3.8–4.7 mm, loosely villous, tube 2.8–3.8 mm, lobes triangular-subulate, 1–1.7 mm; corolla reddish lilac; banner recurved through 45°; keel 8.5–9.3 mm. Legumes disjointing from receptacle when mature, deflexed, green or faintly mottled, incurved through 0.5+ spiral, obliquely ellipsoid to lanceoloid-ellipsoid, dorsiventrally compressed, (16–)20–30 × (4.5–)5–8 mm, semibilocular, somewhat fleshy becoming leathery, villosulous; sessile. Seeds 14–19.
Phenology: Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat: Dunes, sandy sites, often with Sarcobatus baileyi and Hilaria jamesii, less commonly on old beaches.
Elevation: 1300–2100 m.
Discussion
Astragalus pseudiodanthus occurs in Esmeralda, Lyon, and Nye counties in southwestern Nevada, and Mono County in California. It is sufficiently close to the geographically adjacent A. iodanthus that the two taxa have been considered as varieties of A. iodanthus (D. Isely 1983, 1998).
Selected References
None.