Plants slender, 10–28 cm, strigulose; from shallow, subter­ranean caudex. Stems decum­bent, tips ascending, strigulose. Leaves (1.5–)3–7 cm; stipules connate at proximal nodes, con­nate to 1/2 their length at distal nodes, 1.5–4 mm, mem­branous becoming papery; leaflets 9–19, blades oblong-obovate, elliptic, or linear-oblong, 2–10 mm, apex obtuse or emarginate, surfaces pubescent abaxially, glabrate adaxially. Peduncles incurved-ascending, 3–10 cm. Racemes (5–)7–25-flow­ered; axis 1.5–9 cm in fruit; bracts 0.5–1.5 mm; bracteoles 0. Pedicels 0.5–1.5 mm. Flowers 5.2–7.7 mm; calyx mar­cescent, 3.5–4.7 mm, strigulose, hairs white, sometimes also black, tube 2–3.2 mm, lobes subulate, 1–1.6 mm; corolla whitish tinged with dull lilac; banner recurved through 65–90°; keel 5–6.5 mm. Legumes persisting and dehiscent on plant, green, sometimes also purple, becoming stramineous, strongly curved downward, linear-oblong or linear-ellipsoid, bluntly 3-sided com­pressed, 13–25 × 2.3–3 mm, incompletely bilocular, papery, finely strigulose; valves inflexed as nearly complete septum 0.7–1.5 mm wide; stipe 0–0.7 mm. Seeds 12–18. 2n = 22.

Phenology: Flowering Apr–early Jul.
Habitat: Open sites in ponderosa pine, mixed oak and pine or juniper communities, dry volcanic soils.
Elevation: 1400–2200 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Ariz.

Discussion

Without fruits, Astragalus recurvus, which is restricted to the Coconino Plateau, may be distinguished from A. rusbyi, also of basaltic soils of central Arizona, by the vigorous leaves with more numerous leaflets (9–19 versus 17–25) and later flowering period (April to early July versus mid June to September).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.